Sojourn through the heart of night
by ms. silliness
Summary: The blue baron has picked up dangerous new enemies as well as a new friend, but will require the aid of his old friend before this story ends. Written as a continuation of the books with characters old and new. Including but not limited to Baron Byron Balasz, Vampire hunter D and Doris.
1. Chapter 1

This story is not about D, at least not right away. Though appear he shall in all his glory, as well as a certain other beloved character down the road ...This one is centered rather around Baron Byron Balazs whom I thought was a brilliant character in the books and I needed more of him! As D did not kill him, hey, It works! I attempted to write loosely in the style of the books, and always, do my darndest to keep everyone in character, that said here it is, and hope you enjoy!

I do not own Vampire hunter D, I am however extremely fond of it...I've maybe even read almost every book...

Sojourn through the heart of night

Chapter 1

The night was silent, deathly so. The moon blazed pure white, and silver beams flowed across the barren snow covered ground. The silence was broken by the light crunch of bare feet racing across the empty expanse. A lake glittered like diamonds ahead and dark snow dusted trees sprung up around it, multipliying to form a deep forest in the distance. A howl, long and hungry rose up to break the silence, followed by snarls and screeches. The fleeing woman turned reflexively glittering tears freezing instantly as they hit the night air. She ran on, shredded alabaster dress trailing behind her. Her sparkling green eyes seemed almost translucent in the pure white light of the moon and her pink full lips opened slightly in fear. She tripped and fell to her knees beside the lake, wild chestnut curls falling all around her shoulders and in front of her eyes.

"So," she whispered quietly, "The time has come so soon? Yet..." She sat up and looked across the hard diamond faceted glass of the lake, and wiped at her tears with a frozen hand. "It is better this way." She did not stand or run. She did not look back where the horrifying noises were multiplying. Instead she looked out upon the beautiful night and said a quiet prayer.

A new sound broke her reverie, quiet at first, then thundering nearer, and nearer.

"No!" She whispered in horror refusing to look back. Her prayers became more fervent, "no please not that! Let the monsters tear me to pieces but not that!"

No one travelled the frontier at night, no one but... The pounding of hooves, and the creaking of wheels soon drowned out all other sounds. She stopped breathing in utter terror, "don't stop." She whispered desperately, "don't stop!" There was a whinny and a long screech of wheels, and then the noise ceased. She could hear the horses grunting and pawing behind her but she dare not turn. She considered jumping into the water, she might just have time to break the ice and drown.

It was too late. A boot crunched in the snow, and a figure in blue knelt beside her.

"This would make a lovely grave..." an impossibly beautiful voice drawled beside her, "but to live might be better still."

She slowly turned her large eyes on the speaker. She knew the stories, knew that it was said they were beautiful beyond words, but nothing could have prepared her for the sight that now met her eyes. He was fairer than she, with hair so light it might have been white, and deep blue eyes, but his face would make an artist weep so impossible was his beauty. He held a bloody rag to his neck with one gloved hand and stretched out the other to her.

"I will take you home if you wish." He offered.

She started and stood suddenly taking a step back, fear written on her face.

He chuckled quietly, "To your home." He said with mirth, then stood carefully to his full impressive height. "You have my word little flower I will not harm you."

She stared, his regal posture and sure voice making her want to trust him. And his eyes, there was no malice in his deep blue eyes. The monsters howled and screeched nearby while the Noble calmly smiled down at her. 'I should let the monsters devour me.' She thought, even as she felt the powerful urge to accept the offer. Was this some power of his to make her do as he commanded? No, she thought firmly, if she could reason with herself there was no compulsion.

She recalled someone once telling her that nobles always kept their word, of course in that tale it had been a fiend promising to dole out unspeakable torture. But still...a huge roar rang out to one side. She jumped, being ripped to pieces was suddenly becoming less appealing. She looked up at the impossibly beautiful blue apparition once more. 'I must be a fool.' She thought still hesitating, even as her hand seemingly of its own accord stretched shakily out.

He flashed a smile that almost made her believe, just for a moment, that maybe he could be trusted. She quickly thought better of it though, and followed him warily like a sparrow might follow a cat as he led her to the carriage.

He halted and the door swung open revealing oversized red velvet seats and silken pillows with black velvet and lace curtains adorning the extra thick cut crystal windows.

"Forgive the unecessary opulance, I only recently acquired this vehicle, out of necessity." She could see an amused sparkle in the noble's eye as he spoke. "Please make yourself comfortable, and tell me which direction you desire me to take you."

She looked up fearfully, carefully attempting to guard herself from falling for his incredible beauty and obvious charm. "I do not know where I am," she said quietly, willing her voice to be strong, "but my home is in Todan."

"A small town, but I know of it." He gestured again at the open door.

Amazed and terrified she found herself willingly climbing into the vampire's carriage, with every ounce of her willpower she sat on the soft plush bench.

"What is your name little flower?" He asked putting his hand on the carriage door.

"Ophelia." She answered quietly.

A pensive look crossed his perfect face, and he stood very still for a moment before speaking.

"There, on the pendent bows her coronet weeds clambering to hang, an envious sliver broke: When down her weedy trophies and herself fell in the weeping brook. Her clothes spread wide; And, mermaid like, awhile they bore her up: Which time she chanted snatches of old tunes: As one incapable of her own distress or like a creature native and indued unto that element: but long it could not be, till that her garments, heavy with their drink pull'd the poor wretch from her melodious lay, to muddy death."

She looked at him in confusion, and then sorrow as the meaning slowly filtered through her troubled mind. A question rose to her lips.

"Forgive me, the study of humans has left its mark upon me. I could hardly miss an opportunity to quote one of the finest writers who ever lived. But you have never heard these lines have you?" A look of pity crossed his face.

She opened her mouth to reply but instead a cry of horror escaped her lips as a huge black shadow materialized behind the noble with a hiss. He turned swiftly, dropping his rag and revealing a terrible gash around his neck. He moved so quickly she hardly had a chance to see the flash and burning trails the weapons left in the monster before its red eyes dimmed and it fell into a heap of dust with a terrible shriek. Before she could even register what had happened he had thrown them again swifter then lightning and she heard three more distinct thuds nearby.

"Normally I enjoy a little sport," he stated with a grin, "but I think not tonight." He bowed deeply with an elegance that defied reality, "Byron Balazs at your service, Ophelia." He smiled once more then shut the door with a decisive thud and the carriage sprang suddenly to life.

Ophelia did not know whether to laugh, or weep as they sped away towards home.

She hoped.

-The excerpt of course is from Hamlet, by William Shakespeare. Ophelia's death scene for any of you who have chanced not to read it. If you haven't, please do! There's nothing quite so romantic as a morbid poetic play rife with angst and death.

*Sigh*


	2. Chapter 2

And now for a little action...but just a smidge...

I do not own Vampire hunter D

Chapter 2

The carriage screeched and came to a halt, jarring Ophelia from her strange trance induced by exhaustion and sleepless fear. She willed herself to breath evenly. Should she make a run for it, surely morning was near. She lifted a black velvet curtain revealing the grey light of dawn, a daring robin trilled nearby heralding the day. With a click and a rush of cold fresh air the door swung open, and the noble stepped gracefully inside shutting it behind him.

"Good morning little flower." He said with a smile so lovely it defied logic, "I must rest now, you may do as you please, but I recommend you stay near for your own safety."

"Thank you..." She managed to stutter, fearfully wondering if a coffin might appear from under a bench, or some other horror. "I think I will stretch my legs." She said carefully standing, expecting him to reach out with claws and red eyes to claim and devour her.

"As you wish Ophelia." He said passingly as though it was of no concern to him. As she swung the door open and stood to step out he spoke again however, freezing her with fear.

"Wait."

She turned slowly and looked upon the impossibly gorgeous creature, no doubt with her expectations clearly written on her face. He merely stood up, having to bend almost double to fit in the confines of the carriage, and lifted the bench pulling out a very fine deep crimson blanket. He handed it to her and then sat back down leaning against the the cushioned seat.

"It is cold Ophelia, come and join me later if you wish."

She did her best to repress her sigh of relief and resulting smile as she nodded in thanks and stepped outside.

The sun was nearly risen and all the monsters long asleep, Ophelia breathed in deeply wondering how she was unharmed, and unbitten. The morning light filled the young woman with a false sense of safety and peace, but the cold was cruel and biting, she wrapped the fancy blanket around her shoulders laughing to think what a ridiculous sight she must be, clothed in shredded tatters and bare feet. With unbrushed hair and a weeks worth of mud on her face and arms and legs. She glanced around, they were in deep woods where tall trees reached their barren or ever green branches to the sky. A multitude of birds sang their songs to the morning among brown thorny brambles or the high branches.' I could run', Ophelia thought feeling braver with the daylight on her side. But she knew deep down that she would only end up in the same dire straights as the night before. But still...

She wandered a little ways into the woods, waiting for some terrifying sound to erupt behind her, but nothing happened it was day after all. The air became suddenly colder and snow drifted down heavily around her. Her feet burned with cold, if only she had shoes!

She felt dizzy and had to lean against a tree, it had been days since she had eaten and her body was weak with hunger. 'I wouldn't make it three miles' she thought bitterly and sank down to sit under the tree as snow piled up around her.

A small squeak caught her attention and she looked curiousely around. She soon saw the small creature trapped underneath a fallen branch. It was an infant weremouse. A somewhat dangerous monster full grown, they were known to regularly attack and devour whole horses on a full moon, not to mention people. But as a baby it was a sweet little furball and completely harmless. It squeaked pitifully little tufted tale swinging back and forth in alarm.

"It's alright little one." She cooed lifting the branch. It cowered in terror, and she scooped it up. It continued to squeak until she let it burrow in the warm blanket and it quickly fell asleep as she pet its silky soft head gently with one finger. "There, there you see, you'll be alright."

The freezing snow piled higher, it stung her nose and lungs to breathe and she pulled up the voluptuous blanket, thinking of the warm carriage. But the horror of what she might find inside kept her from entering that sanctuary. Would he be in a coffin, was it true that they were dead when they slept? Would he look like the monster he was when in repose, or wake up hungry? No she could not go in the carriage, but maybe... maybe she could just lean against it and have a break from the cruel wind. She stood up slowly wandering back against her better judgement, still holding the tiny mouse.

'I am so weak' Ophelia thought bitterly.

She walked on, each step torture as the freezing snow shot pain from her feet up through the rest of her body. It fell in flurries all around so that she could barely see, and soon the drifts were halfway up her calves. Tears were streaming down her face from the cold and she was beyond desperate when she heard a grunt and whinny ahead.

She trudged on until she found the horses. She looked longingly at the door, bone tired and desperate, but she couldn't.

A pile of snow fell from a branch above her slipping under the blanket and down her back. She yelped in pain and tried futilely to shake it out, but now she was wet too. The mouse squeaked in disdain. With tears from cold and fear in her eyes she reached out, grasped the handle and pulled the door open.

She nearly laughed in relief as she stepped inside and beheld her savior sprawled across a bench in an almost comical manner. With one long leg resting on the seat back and one foot on the floor, and an arm draped over his eyes. A far cry from the death like repose she had been told by stories to expect. She sat on the opposite bench carefully and wrapped her blanket around her drawing up her feet and legs before leaning back. Her feet tingled and burned with the returning warmth, and exhaustion soon sent her off to sleep.

Ophelia woke with a start as the carriage jolted and bounced its way across the deadly frontier. 'I must have fallen asleep!' She thought with terror instinctively touching her neck, feeling for the inevitable scars. There was nothing, she sighed with relief and lifted a curtain to peer outside. It was pitch black except for the unending blur of snowflakes. She wrapped her warm blanket around her gladly, and wondered if she was still dreaming. Why hadn't he harmed her? She lay back thinking, and gazing out into the darkness.

A little tickle of feet ran across her lap and she squeaked, then remembered. "Oh its you little one."

The mouse squeaked and travelled across the bench sniffing.

After a long time Ophelia began to hum a tune. Nothing special, just one her father had always loved and that made her feel glad. The carriage screeched to a halt cutting her song short. The door swung open with a flurry of white and she was lifted from the carriage. A small cry of protest escaped her lips.

"Calm Ophelia, what kind of honour would I have if I let you walk through this with no shoes." He nodded to the snow which nearly reached his knees.

"Where are we going?" She whispered.

"You will see."

The little weremouse squeaked at him from a fold of the blanket.

"I nearly forgot about that one." He jested. "You were out saving orphan mice while I slept."

She blushed and shrugged. "It was so cute, and stuck under a branch."

He chuckled, "Yes, I understand. Still perhaps you had better let it go. We monsters do best when we are free."

"Of course," she smiled nervousely and allowed him to set the mouse down where it scurried off towards the trees without a backwards glance.

He lifted his hood over his face concealing his true nature, not that anyone could have seen it on a night like this one. That was when she saw the bright atomic lights ahead, blurred by the blizzard. They approached a decent sized inn.

Laughter and voices assailed her ears with a blast of warm air as he swung the door open. A few people glanced their direction, then returned to whatever they had been doing with hardly a pause as if there was nothing unusual about the sight. A sturdy woman with a crisp apron and grey hair pulled into a neat bun strode over to them, pitcher of ale in hand.

"Out a bit late aren't ya?"

"Yes, but luck is with us it would seem, for you are open late." he said good naturedly.

"Sure, so what can I do for you." She looked at Ophelia and started, "goodness child! Where are your shoes?!" She looked at the baron menacingly, "how could you take such a pretty thing out in a storm, like this!"

He laughed, "I was hoping to purchase some clothes if you have any, and everything else the lady requires."

"I should hope so." She said somewhat crossly, and with obvious relief.

"We also require food and drink to last a few days."

"Yes of course, I'll have my daughter prepare some travel rations for you. Make yourself comfortable, I'll take care of her." She said taking Ophelia by the shoulder and bustling off.

The noble sat at a table appearing perfectly comfortable surrounded by natural enemies on all sides. She could almost believe he was smiling under that hood.

"Dress or pants?" The woman demanded suddenly.

"Dress please." Ophelia said quietly after a moment, as she was led into a small room.

The inkeeper gestured at a bath in the corner. "Feel free to clean up child while I head to the supply room."

Ophelia lowered the blanket and the woman gasped. "Heavens child! What happened to your dress!"

"It's a long story."

"Always is." The woman sighed crossing her arms. "Wasn't your friend was it."

Ophelia glanced up strangely, "No...actually, he saved me." It was strange to say it, even stranger to think it, of someone who ought to be a monster.

She nodded, "glad to hear it. I have brown, white, and green dresses, nothing fancy." She said abruptly changing the subject. Frontier people learned early on not to pry, and never to tell all.

"Green please."

"What size shoes?"

"Seven."

The old woman nodded and left closing the door behind her, and Ophelia went quickly to the bath throwing her ragged dress in the wastebin.

She was ripping at a matted tangle in her hair when the woman returned. She tossed her a long dress that buttoned up the front. It was a simple woolen dress, but might have been a priceless gown for how glad Ophelia was to don it. She pulled on woolen socks and short boots with equal joy, and was grateful when the other offered to help her braid her hair.

"My, but you're a pretty thing aint you."

She blushed, and then considered telling the woman the truth. She wondered why she was hesitating. A commotion broke out suddenly in the other room, and the two rushed out.

Byron sat at the table, calmly turned toward the others and the sole window in the room where brilliant flashes were occuring regularly. There were murmurs going back and forth between hardened travelers.

"It would seem you have a problem m'am," the concealed noble drawled comfortably without turning, "greater dragons are no simple matter to kill."

The old woman had a grim expression on her face, and a lady in the corner shrieked in fear.

"It's been coming and going for weeks now, no one's brave enough to take it on, though they'll all brag for hours over how tough they are when it's sleeping." She sneered.

A few men coughed uncomfortably.

"I don't suppose _you're_ a hunter..."

He laughed heartily "Certainly not!"

She looked out worriedly at the blasts of flame illuminating the night.

He stood, pulling out a golden sceptre, "But you are in luck, for I am the regulator of the Western front." There was an audible murmur of confusion and fear as he strode towards the door, "Keep little Ophelia safe." He warned before stepping out into the storm.

The old woman took a step back staring at Ophelia in horror. She grabbed her head tilting it up, looking for marks. Satisfied she held her out at arms length with a strange look.

"I heard years ago," she finally whispered, "That Vlad the terrible was the regulator of the Western frontier." She paused, "that he was more powerful then any other noble, and though he protected his lands, was the cruelest and most evil of them all."

Ophelia looked on worriedly without saying a word, as a few others in the room turned from the window to regard her with fear and loathing.

A white light illuminated the night for a long moment while a figure stood beautiful and terrifying in the midst of the brilliance outside, an unthinkably huge reptilian shape before him, body too large to take in with a single flash. Smoke and flames billowed from its toothy maw. He held the sceptre aloft like a great spear and the creature writhed and squirmed bellowing so loudly it shook the inn. The darkness returned for a moment, until another flash revealed the ground erupting outside displacing the blizzard in the wake of the gigantic monsters thrashing. Twin lights streaked out from the billowing cape of the equally terrifying noble standing tall and beautiful against the fire and open mouth of the monster. In one flash a fountain of blood could be seen spurting from the beast as it roared in pain and fury. Black murky night and weakening fire flickered back and forth, and Ophelia was certain she saw him on the creatures head for a moment with scepter raised. Then the night went silent and dark once more.

"I heard a while back," the old woman continued coldly, "that Vlad Balazs finally met his end at the hands of his own son, and rumours say the Blue Baron is powerful beyond words. That even the mighty hunter D could not kill him."

A blast of freezing air and snow permeated the room.

"Did not kill me," The beautiful voice interrupted as the whole room audibly drew breath in terror, "but could have. It is most unwise to underestimate D."

All eyes turned to the Noble, fully unveiled standing tall, elegant and impossibly beautiful in the worn inn. He had a smile on his face, as if daring the hunters in the corner to try and take him down. The lady in the corner screamed and fainted. He walked over to the table and dropped a pile of gold coins, then picked up the bag of provisions.

"Come along Ophelia."

She looked around at all the hate filled eyes and wondered what had just happened. Hadn't he just saved them all?

The young woman found herself following obediently behind quite possibly, the deadliest monster in the whole of the frontier, and she was a little worried that it didn't bother her all that much.


	3. Chapter 3

I do not own Vampire hunter D it is the brilliant invention of Hideyuki Kikuchi.

Chapter 3

Snow drifts had piled against the carriage in the short hour they had been gone, but the horses were content protected by a stand of pine trees. They grunted and stamped at the sight of their master.

"May I ride with you?" Ophelia asked hesitantly.

He cast her a curious glance laced with mirth, and then swiftly lifted her onto the high bench. He alighted beside her taking the reigns without a word and soon they were galloping across the open plains.

The storm cleared after a time and she couldn't help but watch him, his eyes sparkling and blue, golden white hair whipping wildly around his beautiful and not quite human face. He seemed to completely lack the wicked or cruel air she had always believed nobles would possess. She pulled the woolen cloak up higher against the freezing wind and watched mesmerized as she beheld the moon and stars in the sky casting a silver white glow on the night time world. The night was beautiful.

"Why did you kill the dragon?" She asked quietly looking out at the snowy expanse.

"It is my responsibility." He answered simply.

"But...you risked your life, for people that you knew would despise you even after you helped them."

"It is natural for them to fear me, and thus hate me. It does not change what must be done. Do not worry little flower, I enjoy a challenge."

He was silent as they rode on through the darkness.

"Are all Nobles like you?"

He laughed, "No! I am one of a kind."

The noble looked up as a dark shape flew overhead and Ophelia noted that his gaping wound from the night before was nothing more then a faded line now.

He handed her the reigns and stood, easily balancing on the wildly bucking bench as they careened across the frontier, a flash of light erupted from beneath his flowing midnight blue cape. There was a shriek and something plummeted to the ground. The deadly weapon returned with a flash vanishing under his cape, and he resumed his place calmly as though nothing had happened.

"We will reach Todan in two days."

She watched the crystalline black sky in silence as the thudding of her heart slowed, marvelling at the beauty of the twinkling stars and bright silver white moon. As the carriage thundered on through the silent snow white world she lost herself for a moment.

"It's so beautiful, I never knew." She murmured.

"What is beautiful?" He asked in that strangely elegant and yet somehow kind voice that made him seem, almost safe.

She blushed, she had not meant to speak.

"The night I suppose, I have never seen the moon or stars, not like this..."

He sighed with a deep sadness.

"It is all I have ever known little flower, but yes it is."

Ophelia suddenly felt a wave of pity for this creature, her natural enemy. She knew she shouldn't, but she just couldn't help herself.

"You have never seen the sun..."

He shook his head elegantly. "I have tried many times, but I always fail."

"What?! But why would you..." She trailed off suddenly understanding.

He glanced at her, even as she tried to mask the strange unbidden tears of sorrow for a monster's plight.

"Do not be sad for me, I am what I am...and I have come closer than most of my kind." He grinned in a way that made her heart twist.

"What is the day like Ophelia?"

"The day? oh, um, it's bright I guess. Like a well lit room, but a thousand times more brilliant, at least when the sun is out and shining. And the sky is bright blue, almost like your eyes," she blushed a little at his amused smirk, "The ground is full of colors, and the trees stand out against the light and cast long shadows. The birds wake up and sing, people work, and its warm, sometimes hot...but some days if you catch it just right, the sun shines extra bright and there's an inexplicable glow that everything is imbued with. The colors are more vivid, you can almost hear the earth singing when the wind blows, and the warmth from the sun seeps right into your bones."

She smiled sweetly recalling some such day.

The wind blew long and cold freeing a few more strands of hair from her braid, and she realized that it was too quiet. She glanced up in trepidation, his eyes were ahead and there was a small smile on his face.

She turned back to the moon.

The sun rose brilliant and piercingly bright, Ophelia shaded her eyes against it. She had grown accustomed to the cool dark night and its quiet beauty. She walked through the snow playing with low leafless branches feeling strangely glad. She knew that by all rights she ought to be running, ought to be terrified. for some strange reason however she was not. She opted not to dwell on it and sat on a low snow free branch and listened to the sound of the birds.

After a while the birds quieted and the sky took an overcast hue. She was not particularly worried, until there was a crashing in the dry underbrush and creatures began running through the small clearing paying her no heed. Even a bloodsucking mothman ran past fuzzy and brown in the daylight, it did not even pause.

"Better come inside little flower." The barons voice rang loud and clear in her mind as though he were standing beside her. She jumped up in surprise, and then obediently ran to the carriage.

He was laying against a large cushion with eyes closed.

"What is it?" Ophelia asked quietly amazed that he was somehow awake and able to speak to her. She had always heard that nobles slept like the dead during daylight hours. But truly, this one was ruining all of her preconcieved notions and ideas.

"An ice blizzard." He answered lazily.

Ophelia blanched, "then we're toast!"

"Not at all," he chuckled. "This carriage is equipped for such things."

He opened his deep blue eyes and looked at her. "You have nothing to fear, I gave you my word I would bring you safely home."

Her breath caught in her throat at the assurance. how could this man who ought to be a monster, have managed to instill in her such confidence in his goodness. Try as she might she could find no evil in him, not so much as a glint in his eyes, they held only kindness and honor. As to actions, she had always felt that actions spoke much louder than words.

Thunder and pelting ice that sounded like bullets shook the carriage as a flash illuminated the red interior.

"How did you talk to me like that, I mean when I was outside?"

His lips curved in a lazy smile and his eyes remained closed. "It's just a little trick of mine."

"It must be rather useful."

"It is."

The thunder and continuous barrage of large frozen projectiles became louder and louder until the carriage actually shook, as flashes of light strobed through the curtains. One particularly large peal actually caused Ophelia to pitch out of her seat.

He opened his eyes, and sat up slowly offering her a hand.

She took it and was lifted from the floor to sit beside him. Her heart began to beat a little too quickly.

"That is quite a storm!" She said hoping to hide the pounding of her heart, and feeling a little guilty that it was not fear that made it do so.

His beautiful blue orbs were trained on her with an unreadable expression.

She found herself inexplicably leaning closer. She knew of course that she ought to return to the opposite bench. Instead it was as though she were glued to the seat. with trepidation Ophelia realized beyond a shadow of a doubt that she had somehow, and much too quickly, become very fond of the noble.

"Surely you are not frightened."

"No," she smiled.

He glanced at her oddly and bowed his head, his lips brushed her jaw ever so lightly.

"Do you realize Ophelia, the danger you are in right now?" He whispered in a voice as lovely as a clear summer night. "the amount of willpower I must exert to protect you from myself?"

A thrill of fear ran down her spine, yet it was also a tingle of pure pleasure. As the storm raged outside Ophelia found herself feeling neither meek nor afraid. But rather suddenly courageous, and desperate all at once. She closed her eyes and sucked in a trembling breath with a smile.

"You promised." She dared to respond.

"Yes." He whispered in her ear as his hand came up to rest on her shoulder. "But there are more dangers here than you might realize."

"Such as?" She whispered and her voice came out much lower and breathier than she had meant.

"you are very beautiful Ophelia, and posess some special charm that I am utterly helpless against."

Lightning and thunder roared and flashed outside, to the unending noise from the pelting ice.

"I am not afraid." She spoke in a voice thick with desire.

His hand pushed her down against the plush bench, and he kissed her long and carefully.

One hand settled on her breast and he began to unbutton her dress one shiny white button at a time. Her heart thundered keeping time with the storm, but she wanted him so badly. She dared to wrap her arms around his neck and touch his light hair, he smiled invitingly as he continued his task.

It took his elegant nimble fingers only a short moment to liberate her from her garments and soon she felt his cool gloved hands against her naked breast. She sighed as an ache surfaced deep within her.

She pulled at his blue cravat untying it so it could slide off and reveal his elegantly muscled neck. Not wasting a moment as need pressed on her more forceful than the unrelenting thunder outside, she removed his silken shirt and greedily ran her hands along his powerful torso.

"Are you so impatient little flower." He purred in her ear, and she moaned in response.

A moment of darkness obscured her view. She felt him run a hand slowly up her leg causing her to shudder in delight. He kissed her neck lingering for a moment and then her lips as he moved against her, and his hands travelled along her generous curves. Every touch and sensation awakening more fire in her, and then with a sudden burst of fiery pain he entered her.

She cried out and tightened her arms around him reflexively. He kissed her again as his hands travelled up to caress her full breasts. A flash of lightning revealed his eyes were closed as he began to move deep within her.

"I did not realize you were a virgin, you were so eager." His lips curved with a smile.

"hmmm." Was all the reply she could manage as powerful thrusts began to bring her from pain to pleasure.

"I'm afraid I caused you to bleed, and I do not wish to frighten you."

"I am not afraid." She reiterated in a low purr.

"Good." He rasped and opened his eyes which glowed blood red with passion now rather than their usual tranquil blue. And though Ophelia knew deep down that she ought to be terrified, instead her heart only thundered on harder in pleasure.

The door to the carriage opened with a resounding crack as a layer of ice a foot thick shattered. They surveyed the land, nothing but a desolate sheet of ice with the nubs of blasted trees showing here and there remained. It was nothing short of a miracle that Byron had been able to open the door, and Ophelia lustily marvelled at his incredible strength. The sheet of ice on the ground reached just over the tops of the carriage wheels. The remains of the cyborg horses showed entrenched in the crystalline sheet, mostly twisted metal and bone.

"It would seem that we shall have to walk." The noble casually remarked. And they set off across the glimmering expanse. "I feel obliged to inform you that our trip will be extended due to unforseeable circumstances." He mentioned passingly.

"I find those circumstances quite agreeable." She countered.

The clouds hung low and threatening casting an eerie pink glow against the black of night. The crunch of her boots in the snow was the only sound to break the silence. She wondered idly how he was able to avoid making even the smallest noise.

Ophelia glanced at a small barn as they walked past. It looked strange and forlorn in the darkness without so much as a chicken in the yard. She stopped.

"I know this place, we're in Todan."

He smiled and continued ambling forward in that impossibly perfect way of his as Ophelia openly stared. 'He really did it, he brought me home unharmed.'

"Come along little flower."

She shut her mouth promptly and stepped forward.

In moments she stood before her own door, and looked up at her strange savior.

Ophelia smiled beautifully "You truly did it, you brought me home."

"Well of course, I always keep my word." There was an amused glint in his eye.

"Thankyou so very much Byron Balazs." She exclaimed throwing her arms around the noble.

His eyes darkened ever so slightly.

"Be careful little flower..."

A thrill of fear crept down her spine as she lingered, she had all but forgotten just how deadly this beautiful creature of the night was.

He leaned in and drew her face nearer with one gloved hand. Her heart thundered in her chest.

"Or I will steal you away now."

He reached around her and turned the knob on the door as she breathed shallowly in anticipation, she knew not whether from excitement or fear. There was a small clack as the latch and bolt broke and the door swung open behind her. Then he straightened and she breathed deeply in relief, or was it dissapointment?

"Goodbye Ophelia." He turned and strode away.

"Wait!" She yelped, utterly baffled at her lack of good sense. "Will I ever see you again?"

He turned slightly with an amused grin. "There you go again, didn't I just warn you to be careful?"

She blushed, and twisted the toe of her boot in the snow.

"You make it most difficult to keep my word." He stood very still as the wind ruffled his hair and caused his midnight blue cape to float around him as if taunting the night because his beauty was so much greater.

"Yes, if you desire it you will see me again one day little flower."

She let out a breath she had not realized she was holding as her lips turned upwards once more.

"I do."

He turned and strode away without another word, vanishing into the night.

Ophelia turned and stepped into her fathers house with a light heart, trying to make sense of all that had happened.


	4. Chapter 4

And now...for the shortest chapter, don't blink you'll miss it. But we're getting closer...closer to that moment we're waiting for...

I do not own Vampire hunter D

Chapter 4

A midnight blue silhouette stood out against the clear night sky that held the brightly shimmering moon. His cape billowed gently and he looked up with a face so lovely it put that silver white orb to shame. He walked on swiftly, blending with the balmy night as perfectly as if it bent to his will.

He entered a courtyard with dark trees draping beside the carefully tended walkway, and to a very respectable if not quite large manor. The nightbirds trilled as the door shut with a gentle thud behind him. He walked down the dark hall picking up an atomic candle as he passed, then sat down at a large desk.

"I can wait no longer little flower." He mumbled to himself in a very uncharacteristic manner, and pulled a few sheets of paper from a drawer.

The sun beat down mercilessly on the small frontier town, bathing the land in a blinding radiance and a baking heat. It was quite extraordinary the way the harsh land could change from deadly cold ice and blizzards, to blooming with sudden and bountifull life, and then again to heat so intense it dried the life out of even the toughest weeds and grass.

A woman slowly walked along the dusty path, long brown curls lit with streaks of fiery red and gold swinging free behind her. She walked as though she was heading nowhere in particular, and stopped often to bend and admire a flower, or to listen to the trill of a bird. She turned suddenly as a cloud of dirt settled around a lone fast approaching figure. A smile bloomed on her lovely face, and she lifted a hand.

"Mia! I'm here!"

After a moment the smaller girl reached her and had to bend, hands on her knees, to catch her breath.

"Hey sis." She gasped, "You got a letter today."

"Really?" A look of confusion passed the elder's face. "But...who would be writing me I wonder?" She took the letter from Mia's hand and turned it over. A look of surprise passed her face, quickly melting into a smile. "I wonder..." She murmured as she tore it open.

"Who is it from O?" The younger girl asked in excitement.

A secretive smile lingered a moment upon Ophelias face. "I'm afraid it's none of your concern." She chuckled and turned her back on her sister.

"But I brought it here doesn't that count for something? Tell me, tell me!" Mia doggedly chased after her retreating sister.

"Please?!"

Ophelia chuckled and kept walking.


	5. Chapter 5

Closer...

I do not own Vampire hunter D

Chapter 5

Two sisters walked hand in hand down the main road of the tiny frontier town. The people all greeted them kindly as they bustled about their daily work, for these sisters were well known and loved. The elder spoke a word to the younger and they parted ways, one to the post and the other to the grocer. Unbeknownst to them their status was about to change.

A loud rumbling sound began to permeate the town, and what could only rightly be called a caravan appeared before the gates. Four large brightly painted wagons pulled by real horses passed the dazed onlookers. They stopped suddenly in the center of the town, eight people jumped down from the various vehicles and gathered in a huddle discussing something. The townspeople were just about to approach when one of them, a man, with short uneven hair and a winning smile adressed them.

"greetings all! I am Gideon Van Heisell, and these," he gestured to the rest, "are my family. For those of you who don't know of us we are hunters, and fate it would seem has brought us here!"

"What do ya hunt?" Someone yelled from the crowd, "This is a peaceful place, no infestations for years!"

He chuckled. "Don't worry oldster, no small game for us we're the real deal! And it just so happens our nobrometer led us here." He waited a moment smiling as if awaiting a response.

"I take it you folks haven't heard of one of these before." He waved a small square device around.

A small mumble of confusion from the crowd was the only response.

"Let me explain. A nobrometer measures the number of diffused nob particles that have mixed with the atmosphere in the recent past. Now for those of you that don't know, a nob particle is the result of a Nobles energy mixing with the air. It leaves a number of these babies floating around, they're invisible scentless and harmless but they are there, and the stronger the Noble the more abundant the particle."

At this point a cry of horror came from the crowd followed by a few thumps.

"Now yer gettin it! And you ought to be scared cause as we figure it this ones strong enough to be the big guy himself."

"What do we do?!" Someone wailed.

"Aah, thats easy! Whichever one of your girls has developed teeth marks, or started acting weird must come see me."

There was another murmur.

"No one's been bitten here." Someone called out.

"Impossible!" The old woman from the caravan piped up. "There's always one bitten, but no matter." She tossed another man a machine and he began to walk around the circle of townspeople watching the little metal box as he went.

Ophelia silently stepped back from where she had been watching, and hoped no one noticed. She didn't know if the device could pick up anything from her or not, but she didn't really want to find out.

"Hey sis whats going on?" An eager voice piped up behind her forcing her back towards the fray.

"n..nothing, lets go!" She whispered urgently.

"But I wanna see!"

"Yeah O, where are you going this is totally cool!" Maria who was a good friend had caught up with her too.

There was nothing for it, if she left at this point it would only prove she was running.

"I...uh, need to use the restroom." She hurriedly choked out and turned to leave.

The other girls shrugged and turned back.

"Hey you! Where'd ya think you're going, come back here!" The one called Gideon yelled, freezing her in her tracks.

She turned to see if he was looking at her, the fears were confirmed. He was looking straight at her. She lifted an arm in question.

"Yeah you, you're not running away are you?" He smiled wickedly.

"No, of course not." There was nothing to do now but hope the machine was a fraud. She stepped slowly forward like one condemned and said a silent prayer.

She had only managed three steps when the machine was before her making a strange clicking sound. Had it done that before she wondered.

"Frank check this out!" The one called Gideon yelled, and the other boy came running over. They compared machines.

"Well sink me! This'd be the one!"

"Wow folks, ya mightn't have known it, but this pretty things been friendly with a Noble, so friendly y'all would be welcomin a nice little dhampir to town!"

The crowd erupted.

"Now wheres the bite missy, can tell alot by a bite."

She stared at the ground with burning face shamed in front of the entire town. There would be no opportunity to redeem herself, tell her story, or even apologize and she knew it.

"There is no bite."

"Don't be a liar now, there's always a bite."

She shook her head, "not this time, he never bit me."

"Impossible." He countered.

She didn't answer. Listening to the jeers of her beloved friends was by far more painful then being called a liar.

"Whats the matter with you girl, you should be happy! We can take care of your little problem after all." He smiled wickedly and aimed a quick punch at her belly. She noticed just in time to turn quickly and recieve it in her hip instead.

"No!" She yelled and curled up, protecting her unborn babe the best she could.

The woman walked up then, "well thats odd, usually their happy for help. Whats the matter with ya girl?! Did it mess with yer mind or somethin?"

Ophelia knew that there was no answer she could make now, and so she only curled up tighter as her tears hit the dry ground.

"Well then, at least you can give us a name? What was the name of the one that did this to ya?"

She didn't answer.

"Tell us now it'll be easier."

A moment of silence passed, "alright boys have at it!" The woman said standing, as the other two began to kick at her prone form until she couldn't help but cry out.

"Wait!" A voice yelled from the crowd, "stop!"

"Why should we?" The cruel old hunter intoned."One less dhampir in the worlds a blessing, we won't kill her."

"Please!" Mia fell to her knees begging and the womans eye twitched.

"What if I tell you his name?"

"How would you know, you in on this too?"

The young girl shook her head flinging a few sparkling tears to the wind. "I read her letter when she wasn't looking!" She sobbed, "b..but I never..I didn't know!"

"A letter, thats unusual..." the woman nodded thoughtfully, then raised a hand. The boys ceased their cruel past time.

"Whats the name?"

"You won't hurt her anymore?" Mia questioned with shining eyes.

"No, you have my word."

"It's Byron Balasz." She blurted out

One of the boys whistled, and the whole group of hunters exchanged glances as Ophelia quietly moaned on the ground. She raised her pain filled eyes to her sister and attempted to smile for her just before she was unceremoniousely lifted and tossed into a wagon like a bag of flour.

The caravan was swiftly rumbling out of town before anyone had a chance to realize what had happened. And they all looked sadly on as the screaming young girl chased it as far as she could. Then one by one they averted their eyes and returned to their business.

Authors note:

So uh...yeah...science and realism. Not so good at.

"Nob particles? really silliness!" (face palms)

Don't worry I won't need to sound scientific again for a while...I hope.


	6. Chapter 6

Here it is finally! What you've been waiting for, some action yay! And a certain deadly beautiful hunter...

The wind whistled through the shedding trees, and moaned eerily as t flew in off the plains. The small town was mostly indoors for twilight was setting in, and the deadly creatures of the night were beginning to stir. A shape as dark as night appeared on the horizon sitting tall and elegant on top of a black cyborg stallion. This beautiful mirage moved steadily on as the night began to set in, but the beauty was disturbed suddenly by the half crazed figure of a girl running towards it.

The man turned his head, low wide travellers hat revealing nothing of the face beneath.

The small figure reached the man and horse and stopped at the customary distance that all those who lived upon the frontier knew.

"Please sir," she asked breathless from running, "are you a hunter by chance?"

She was twelve, or maybe thirteen, and her eyes sparkled with urgency.

The man said nothing but made no move to leave. The young girl took the opportunity to immediately press her case.

"Oh please, I need help! My sister, my kind sweet sister was stolen away and no one will help me save her!" Her eyes glittered with unshed tears.

The traveller still said nothing.

"She didn't deserve it! They beat her and then threw her in their wagon and left, I tried to follow..but..but I couldn't do anything!" She hung her head in shame, "I couldn't even find them."

"Them?" It was the first word spoken and in a voice so beautiful the poor girl nearly swooned.

"y...yes, the Van Heisill family. They're hunters."

There was silence for a moment. "Why?"

The girl looked up, "Why?" She repeated, "I suppose because they wanted to use her as bait."

"Had she recieved the kiss?"

Every person upon the frontier knew that terminology, it struck fear into the bravest of hearts.

"No, she didn't"

"Then why?"

"Well, because a really strong Noble liked her...they were...well.." She fidgeted knowing how most would respond to the last bit, but somehow the young girl knew she should speak the truth this time. "She was pregnant." She finally yelped.

The beautiful man cocked his head as if in silent laughter.

"That would make poor bait."

"I know, but it seemed, almost, like he really," she paused twisting her dress in her hands, "really loved her."

He turned his horse as if to leave.

"No wait, please!"

He stopped but did not turn.

"No one will help me, I beg of you!" She fell to the ground in supplication.

A long moment of silence passed.

"Who do they hunt?"

"His name was Byron Balasz."

He turned the horse back around and dismounted.

"Are you certain."

"Well, yes!" She looked shamefully toward the ground, "I read a letter that I wasn't supposed to. Its my fault they took her, I thought I was helping!" The tears began to run down her cheeks.

"So you are hiring me to find the Van Heisill family and retrieve your sister?"

"Y..yes!" She wiped tears roughly with the back of her hand. "I can pay, I've been saving every..."

"He'll pay." He said abruptly and turned towards the town. "I'm D."

The girl gaped a moment stunned, "Y..you're D, really! I've heard of you..." She tapered off suddenly sensing danger.

"You will need a horse." came the stony reply.

"Me, really?!" She beamed.

"Your sister is likely to need help that neither myself nor the Baron can administer if we don't find her soon."

The young girl blanched a little as realization set in, but stood up a little straighter as she raced back to town to find a horse.

A figure of unearthly beauty stepped into the inn from the fast approaching darkness. The patrons that were gathered drinking and laughing stepped aside to let him pass without a word. He approached the desk.

"I require paper and ink, and your fastest courier."

The inkeeper scrambled quickly to procure said items, then rushed away to find the courier as the beautiful man began to write a hasty note.

When he returned the other was waiting calmly.

He handed the courier the note and five times the regular price.

"See that this arrives in no less then three days, and deliver it in person. You need not fear, he will not harm you."

The courier looked at the gorgeouse man and nodded once in affirmation before setting off.

The darkness had fully settled upon the land as two extremely brave, or very foolish figures appeared on the open plain. The dry grass rustled quietly in the whispering breeze, and the moon bathed everything white, except where the shadows showed black.

The young girl looked around furtively with wide eyes, but the tall figure ahead of her rode on calmly as if it were broad daylight. The earth began to rumble low and soft at first, then growing to a roar that caused the horses to rear up.

"Stay on your horse."

Mia nodded fearfully as she wrapped her hands in the reigns more securely. It was not easy to stay astride a spooked horse. She couldn't help but cry out when she saw a giant glittering body begin to surface beside her, and allowed her horse to dart a little ways away. There was no escape however for three more appeared all around.

The beautiful hunter rose into the sky and came down with a flash of silver. There was a terrible crunch and screech, then the other giant beetloids all rushed toward him. They were hungry, their terrible mandibles each as long as a sword and rasor sharp were swinging back and forth in anticipation. He jumped effortlessly into the air once more, and came down on top of them as they converged in a starved bloody meely. The flash of silver was the only clue that their end was at hand, and in a moment three shells lay glistening and twitching in the moonlight.

He remounted his horse and continued as though nothing had occured, and the trembling Mia followed closely behind.

It wasn't ten minutes later when a terrible screech tore the night. Followed by more, and in seconds an entire flock of man eating falcons had appeared overhead. They were still on open plains and there was nowhere to take cover.

Man eating falcons were a terrible monster to have to face in the open, for they had the ability to make a deadly acid in their beaks that they could eject as a mist, and this mist would immobolize even the strongest of creatures. a small flock of these birds was known to be able to easily devour fifty men in a matter of moments.

"What do we do?!" Mia cried out in fear.

"Just sit tight honey." Came a strange raspy voice from somewhere ahead.

She started unable to find the source of the voice, there was only the hunter ahead and she was certain he had not said anything.

The hunter hopped down from the horse and appeared to be digging in the dirt. A reddish cloud began to form around the flock when finally he stood and raised his left hand. A great wind blasted the birds sending them careening backwards.

Mia was confused for she could clearly see the effect of the wind upon the birds, but could not feel it herself or tell from whence it came. In truth it appeared to flow directly from D's hand. Her attention was quickly drawn however to the man eating falcons that were dropping from the sky like flies. After a time the gruesome rain stopped however, and she trotted over towards the hunter. She could see that the birds were in various states of melting, apparently they could not tolerate their own acid anymore than their prey could.

"Is it always like this?" The young girl asked as the trotted on further and deeper into the night.

The ghost of a smirk appeared on his beautiful face, and she thought she heard a vulgar laugh from somewhere.


	7. Chapter 7

I do not own Vampire hunter D

Chapter 7

Dusk had fallen on the world, but there was no lessening in the activities of this boisterous town. As always the night was bright and filled with people laughing, drinking, heading down the well travelled path to the famous Fisher Lagoon's, or marvelling at the vast empty expanse of what had once been the castle of Vlad Balazs. The place had been so deadly, so riddled with numberless horrors that as of yet no one dared build upon the ruined sight, nor even walk there.

The young courier looked around bright eyed. Born in a small frontier town, he had been raised to fear the night, and had assumed everyone else did as well. Feeling slightly uncomfortable, and yet also elated he began to attempt to find his way through the tangle of streets.

Finally he stopped a passing lady who appeared to be reasonably dressed and kind of face.

"M'am, could you be so good as to tell me where I might find this adress?"

She smiled and glanced at the address, her smile faltered only slightly. "Are you certain this is correct young man?"

He nodded. "I am a courier m'am and I always make my deliveries."

"I'm sorry to seem so rude, it is only that most outsiders would avoid this man at all costs. You really needn't be frightened though for in truth, he has been very good to us in Krahausen."

"I was told not to be frightened when I accepted this post, so I naturally assumed he would be eccentric." He chuckled good naturedly.

"Eccentric...perhaps, he is a Noble."

The couriers smile vanished in a flash as his stomach did a backflip.

The woman proceeded to give him directions and a final pat on the back. The poor boy stood imobolized for a long time, but finally his consciense, and desire to retain his perfect record won out and he began to walk swiftly through the crowded streets.

"You recieved a letter today sir, it seems a rather pretty hand compared to your usual post." The stern old woman laughed. How one person could be so completely hard and completely jovial at the same time was baffling, but this woman had managed it. And that, combined with her complete lack of natural fear was why the baron had hired her on as his maid.

The beautiful creature lowered his book so elegantly it might have made the woman cry, except that her eyes glittered instead with some hidden knowledge. He took the letter with a slender gloved hand and briefly glanced at the address.

"You may go Lydie." He finally acknowledged with an amused sparkle in his own eye.

She abruptly turned and left. Lydie smiled at herself as she traversed the hall, she knew that she was supposed to fear him and all, but instead she was quite fond of the fellow and wished him well. She had just picked up her broom and begun to sweep when the bell rang.

"hmm." She muttered as she set down the broom and adjusted her apron. She opened the door assuming it would be one of the usual visitors or some tough trying to make a name for himself, instead it was an upstanding young man.

"What can I do for you son?" She chuckled good naturedly at his fear stricken face.

"I...I am to deliver this...i..in person." He stammered.

"In person hmm. You're a brave one aren't you."

He stood as tall and straight as he could.

Lydie laughed. "There, there, you've nothing to fear. I'll go and get him." She walked a few steps, then turned, "Oh, and well done son, your folks should be proud."

She knocked at the door once more and heard the customary 'in.'

"I'm glad you are back Lydie, I shall require my horse and provisions for a journey immediately."

"Yes sir...right away!" She stammered a little at the unexpected request. " But first there is a nice young courier at the door waiting for you. He's quite terrified, but was instructed to deliver the message in person."

"How unusual." The blue vision calmly replied, " I will see him now."

The Noble walked down the quiet hall, perfectly straight and dressed in shimmering blue as the moonlight flowed in through the high windows, and he was such a vision of manly strength and beauty that the poor couriers knees actually began to shake. He had heard about Nobles but nothing had prepared him to actually meet one face to face.

The baron stopped a few feet away, and his perfect lips turned up in an amused smile. "I hear you have a message for me." He said finally.

"Y..yes I..I d..do." The boy stammered holding out the letter.

The Baron glanced at it briefly, than raised an elegant eyebrow ever so slightly. "Why this is from D."

The boy started, he hadn't realized that he had taken his commision from the famous hunter, and felt a swell of pride.

"And now here," The Baron dropped a handful of gold coins into the boys hand that made his eyes bulge.

"Well done, your task is complete."

Byron Balazs smiled to himself as he walked down the hall, the young man called out his thanks and made a hasty retreat.

"Baron,

Have just been hired to retrieve a girl from the Van Heisill clan. Think you might know her. I'm heading South to Ransylva for supplies.

D

It must be hard sitting around in your castle."

Byron laughed causing Lydie who was still in the hall to jump, then he stood and swiftly began to prepare.


	8. Chapter 8

And now the part I've been waiting for! I'm soooo happy..giggles...

I do not own Vampire Hunter D

Chapter 8

Mia nearly wept for joy when she glimpsed the town in the distance. Three days they had travelled and been beset by every monster on the frontier, at least it seemed that way. She was half desperate for shelter, even though she now knew there wasn't much a wall would do to stop a hungry monster. Still she longed for it.

The dark hunter ahead pulled his wide brimmed hat lower over his eyes blocking the morning sun, and perhaps attempting to conceal his face though nothing could disguise his beauty. The townspeople warily stepped aside as they passed, sending the dusty girl odd looks when they thought the hunter could no longer see them.

"Where are we going?" Mia asked as they passed the last shop, "I thought you needed supplies?"

He said nothing and merely continued down the dusty track. She looked back once, then shrugged and followed obediently behind.

They came to a large farm surrounded by an impressive gate mounted with cannons, lasers and every weapon between.

D headed directly toward the deadly arsenal.

"a..are you certain..." She didn't finish because the door had swung open.

The dust from the road rose up in a cloud, and through that haze a figure appeared coming toward them on foot. The young girl clenched her reigns, wondering what kind of person she might meet in this place. She hadn't failed to notice the dead werewolves and the lesser dragon strung up to rot around the perimeter after all. It became clear very quickly however that it was a beautiful woman walking towards them, and as they neared Mia could see a genuine smile on her face.

D dismounted just as the woman ran the last few steps to close the gap and jumped on the deadly hunter with a hug.

He bore it stoically, but Juliet was almost certain she saw the hint of a smile on his face nearly hidden by the shadow of his hat.

She detached only a moment later with a mischievous smile directed at the hunter. "Come on then, lets get outta this damn heat."

With that simple greeting she led them to the stables to water the horses, and then into the house that was indeed blissfully cool.

Juliet stared at the woman a while, she was lightly tanned from the sun, with raven black hair and a wild and untamed yet kind air about her. Stunningly beautiful, but dressed in simple blue jeans and a loose buttoned shirt. There was a dark whip coiled at her side along with a gun, yet none of this could detract from her femininity.

"Now, tell me what brings ya here? I can see your working." She winked at Mia.

"I need to borrow a ten beam cannon, and an electrical barrier device."

The beautiful woman raised an eyebrow, "why on earth would ya need somethin like that D? You're worth 20 of those cannons by yerself?"

"That may be, but I need it none the less."

"Well of course its all yours, take whatever you like." She waved nonchalantly, "Do ya need extra hands D? I aint had a job in six months, I'd be happy to lend mine."

Again Juliet could swear she saw a faint smile appear on the hunters face.

"The girls sister was kidnapped by the Van Heisill clan."

The woman sat up, confusion written on her face. "Why on earth would they do that? They hunt Nobles, and they're good at it so I hear."

He nodded. "They are after a Noble."

"So she's been bit and they're doin her a favor."

"No."

She stared at him waiting for the rest, but obviously knew him well enough not to try and wheedle the information from him.

"This ones different. I know him, and if he wants the girl it is simply because he cares for her."

"What?! You can't be serious!"

He shrugged.

"Well, that still doesn't explain everything."

"The Noble they want is Byron Balazs."

She choked on her water.

D raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow this time but said nothing.

"Don't give me that look, you know as well as me that every damn hunter on the frontier is after his head right now. I heard he's as strong as you, is it true?"

"Perhaps."

She blanched. "They say he killed his own father."

"He did."

She lowered her eyebrows dangerousely. "Say, how do ya know him anyway?"

"He hired me once." He paused, his lips curved upward, "As a bodyguard."

Both girls started, and it seemed a raunchy voice was laughing somewhere nearby.

"Aw shut up lefty, I know there's gotta be more there...but I get why ya need the cannon anyway. You'll likely need more than one."

"Lefty?" Mia questioned speaking up for the first time.

The woman chuckled, then seemed to remember something. "But why bring the girl, this jobs dangerous even for you."

"Her sister is likely to require help neither I nor the Baron can give."

Her eyes opened wide in understanding, "What do ya mean the baron..." She waved her hand, "Nevermind, that seals it, I'm coming too. I reckon I know more about deliverin babies than this young one."

He looked at her hard for a moment as if weighing the impending battle and its outcomes.

"Do as you like."

She broke into a brilliant smile as the hunter walked away no doubt to attend to the arsenal.

She turned back to Mia and offered a hand. The younger girl eyed the whip and weapons resting on the lovely womans shapely hips once more.

"You're a hunter too?" She asked quietly.

"Yep, Doris Lang at your service boss. Now lay down the whole story for me, cause I aint gonna get it from him."

The brightly colored wagon bounced and jostled along the rough road. A pretty girl covered in bruises and dried blood struggled to sit up, why wouldn't they stop? She glanced to her right where the old woman snored, laser rifle in hand. She knew by now that the woman could sleep through anything but her escape attempts, and she didn't need anymore aches or bruises. She rubbed her swollen belly absently, then seemed to gather courage.

"Hey!"

The old crone snorted.

"Hey wake up!"

Nothing.

She turned the handle and it made a soft click. In no time the woman was holding her by the hair with a knife by her neck.

"I just wanted your attention." The young woman said evenly.

"what, why?"

"I want to ask you something, because I can't figure it out."

The old woman sat back down tucking her knife into her belt. "Well ask then ya crazy tart!"

"Why did you kidnap me. I'm nothing after all, there's no one who wants me, no money to be made, why then?!"

"Oh, it aint you honey. Its the Blue Baron, he's worth a fortune so vast we'd never have to hunt again. But he aint like the other Nobles, no, he doesn't fall for the same tricks, and in Krahausen he's untouchable. So even though we all know where to find him, not one of us can lay a finger on him."

"what do you mean?"

"I dunno, there's some kinda voodoo on that place, and lots of weirdos. Why, I'd swear they like their Lord Balazs... at least the new one."

"Thats not hard to believe."

The old woman slapped her across the face. "What's the matter with you girl, snap out of it! You haven't even been bit, there's no excuse!"

"None except that he proved himself kind and good by his every action!" She spat back without hesitation.

"Never, don't believe it." She sniffed.

"Who is offering the reward?"

"Huh?" The crone started, "Oh, umm no one knows exactly, but every hunter on the frontier has had the offer put before them, and it is valid. Seems like some wealthy person from the capital, boy they must really hate him!" She cackled.

"I see...but you still haven't answered, why me."

She glared at Ophelia with sharp keen eyes, "by all rights it don't make sense, but it seems he likes you enough to write a letter...maybe he'll like ya enough to hunt you down." She shrugged, "if not we'll set ya free eventually, but only after we take care of that problem of yours. I've had to exterminate a fair few dhampirs in my day, they're almost as bad as the real thing."

Ophelia scooted further from the old hunter, and the two stared at each other for a long time in silence.


	9. Chapter 9

The plot thickens...

I do not own Vampire hunter D, or Baron Byron Balasz whom I am much too fond of...That Hideyuki Kikuchi is brilliant! Brilliant I tell you!

Chapter 8

The wind howled through the open plains with only the dusk red sky for a companion, while three riders travelled through the high grass. They moved in silence as the red faded and turned to twilight, than finally to darkness.

A long howl pierced the air, louder than the unceasing wind, then another. The beautiful woman smiled, hand resting on the whip at her side, while the gorgeous youth whose pale face put the moon to shame stoically rode on as though he had heard nothing. The young girl at the rear cringed slightly, wide eyed with fear but courageously riding onward.

"Mia!" The woman hunters voice rang loud and clear over the wind.

"Yes m'am." The young girl replied without hesitation,

"Do ya have a weapon?"

"n..no m'am."

"Here then," she dug around in the saddleback for a moment never slowing, and pulled out a large gun. "Just aim and shoot, but be careful it aint pointed at me when ya do." She laughed good naturedly.

"But, I've never used a gun, I'll miss." She thought she heard a soft laugh.

"You can't miss with this honey! If your aims within ten feet of the target you'll be golden."

Mia blushed, "I see...thankyou."

Doris winked at her then sidled over toward D, where the girl couldn't hear her over the restless wind.

"What is that?"

She was referring to a small whirring sound as if from machinery that her keen hunters ears had been able to pick up.

He frowned," its the fleet."

"Not the blood fleet?"

He nodded, "likely they are not interested in us...yet."

"You think the Van Heisill clan has called in reinforcements?"

"Perhaps...or others have gotten wind of their plans."

Doris nodded.

Just then a shriek tore the night as a giant flaming salamander walked in front of Mia's horse, setting the grass aflame and sparking a wildfire that ripped through the dry prairie grass like tsunami. The monster reared up, and she blasted it with the cannon Doris had only just given her. There was nothing but a black scorch twenty feet in diameter to show it had ever been.

"Catch kid!" Doris called out tossing a small black metallic object at her. "Quick! set it down!" She yelled as she put one on the ground herself, then ran twenty feet or so and set another.

D was just straightening after placing yet one more when there was a crackle and flash. Suddenly the smoke and heat were gone. Mia looked around awestruck, she could still see the flaming inferno all around but there was an invisible dome protecting them from the flames and black smoke of the burning prairie.

"What do we do now?" The young girl asked staring wide eyed at the scene.

"Wait." Came the quiet response from the dark hunter as he laid down and lowered his hat over his eyes.

Doris nodded curtly and walked over to a horse, detaching a rough blanket. She tossed it to Mia. "Rest now, we'll move when it clears."

The plain was a desolation of charred ground when finally the trio was able to set out once more. Miles and miles of black with no sign of any living creature was all they witnessed for the next two days until finally a patch of golden grass, followed by small square buildings appeared on the horizon.

The town was full to bursting, and though dusk was near it was loud and nearly riotous to ears now accustomed to silence. D slowly ambled through the parting crowd glancing now and again to one side or the other. To most his actions would seem indifferent, but to the girls it seemed as though he were searching for something.

"What is it, somethin wrong D?" Doris casually remarked sidling her horse up alongside his.

"No."

She grunted and continued her pace, asking no more.

A huge man dressed in nothing but suspenders and what appeared to be his underwear stopped suddenly in front of D and pointed. "You! You can't have it, the bounties mine!" He growled fiercely and reached for the pole at his back.

D made no response simply looking at the man.

"Aww c'mon Arkin, you know ya aint got no chance at snaggin that bounty much less takin him! Ya barely managed the last one or did ya forget?"

The sparsely clad giant started, shifting his gaze to the beautiful huntress riding alongside the creature of unearthly beauty. "You? I remember you..."

"Yeah thats right, the one that saved yer sorry ass the last time you tried to take down a noble, and interrupted a pack of werewolves instead. Did I ever tell you I lost three of em because of you? I only got half pay, you owe me."

He lowered his stick and huffed. Hunters code required that recompense be made for the interuption or theft of a bounty.

"Well." She prodded.

"Aint got no money." He grumbled.

"Don't want yer filthy money, want info."

He raised his head, eyes lighting at the suggestion of being let off for so little. "What do ya wanna know woman?"

D appeared to be disinterestedly looking around again while the exchange went on.

Doris lowered her voice and leaned down. "The Van Heisill clan, where they been lately?"

His head shot up, "You're after the bounty."

Doris rolled her eyes, "I aint interested in no bounty, I don't hunt nobles."

He glared suspiciousely, "He does."

"Not this time."

"Why?"

"You owe me."

He grumbled. "Been seen here 2 week back, headed South."

"Thankyou Arkin. Anything else?"

"They needed a repair that couldn't be done here." He mumbled begrudgingly under his breath.

"Ferro." D quietly spoke as if listening to something else.

"Of course!" Doris exclaimed with a smile, "They've had to hunker down in Ferro! Consider yerself paid up Arkin. Now outa my way!"

She urged her horse forward as the strange hunter barely managed to jump aside.

The small town was full of strange characters, oddly clothed or carrying strange weapons and they soon found out why. While stopped at the blacksmiths for a horseshoe repair they learned that the Baron had left Krahausen and was at large. As the bounty on him was ten times the going rate for a vampire extermination it had brought out nearly every hunter on the frontier. D did not seem at all surprised by the news, and didn't so much as answer the enthusiastic shopkeeper who told them.

When the cyborg horses had been properly repaired and tuned they left. It was night now and the town was strangely lively almost as if the hunters had assumed they were safe in numbers. A number of them were drunk, and one was singing at the top of his lungs.

Someone bumped into D's horse, and remained there as they trotted down the street. Mia squeaked in surprise while Doris raised a questioning eyebrow at the beautiful hunters lack of response.

"I wondered where you were." He said cooly while keeping his eyes trained ahead.

"Yes well, you must excuse me this time as it is rather difficult to follow someone through miles of burning plains with every bounty hunter in existence at my back...well except you of course."

The voice was so melodic and laced with such good humor that the girls nearly jumped. After all he appeared to be some drunk dressed in a patched old brown cloak. Then again, his posture was almost too good, and he must be rather tall...

"That never stopped you before." D replied.

"If you are referring to that trip we took years ago I really must clarify that to compare what I am dealing with now to what happened then is insufferable. I could liken that trip to frollicking through my own park with fluffy white rabbits."

The beautiful hunter chuckled so quietly that it almost seemed it didn't happen.

"Laugh if you like D, just wait until Dr. Tar gets his hands on you. He is more unpleasant than my father was."

D grunted in acknowledgement. "Dr. Tar had you?"

The man in rags hunched his shoulders ever so slightly then straightened again as if trying to shake something off. "Yes, last year. I had to nearly kill myself to escape, I have even retained a scar to remind me not to underestimate anyone again."

"Hm." The hunter intoned. "Do you know yet who has set the bounty."

"No, I cannot think of any enemies I should have. Unless..." He paused walking elegantly alongside the hunter while the girls strained to hear every word lest they should find some clue as to whom this man might be.

"If perhaps Miska had had any family left, they might blame me for her demise."

"She said she was alone."

"Yes, but it is the only lead I can conjure. Though I have killed, it has never been from malice or cruelty, and I believe that strange though it seems, I am unusually well liked for my kind."

"Mm." D nodded in agreement. "It is a possibility, and would explain the wealth."

The stranger whipped his head to one side suddenly, offering the girls a glimpse of beauty to rival the dark hunter beside them, then calmly replied, "I'll find you later." Before vanishing into the crowd.

Before Doris had a chance to open her mouth a gang of hunters covered in brand new weapons straight from the capital rushed by. Followed by a man in a scarlett cape, three women who appeared of a dubious nature decked out for the night and carrying gleaming knives, and Arkin.

"He'd have a hell of an easier time if he'd just kill em all." A raunchy voice from somewhere nearby commented.

Four more hunters on horseback raced by.

"Who was that D?" Doris asked quietly.

A ghost of a smirk appeared on the hunters painfully beautiful face.


	10. Chapter 10

Thankyou so much amethyst-phoenix, a good review always makes my day! If even one person reads and enjoys I know that I'm doing something right! So on with the story, I shall continue on my endeavor to ultimate completion! I think more action...yes. YES! Action sequences ahead!

I do not own Vampire hunter D.

Chapter 10

The bustle of the town faded behind them, as the cool dark night once more embraced the travellers. The silence fell like a blanket all around, the only sound the soft clop of hooves against hard ground.

"Well," questioned Doris when the city was well behind them, and the howling of the night creatures had begun. "You gonna tell us who that was, or leave us in the dark?"

"Ask him yourself." Came the quiet answer.

Doris snorted, and Mia giggled at the unladylike sound.

"What'r you laughin at?!" The older woman chided, but with a smile on her face. "I can make manly noises if I like, I earned it!"

"Ha! Sure did." A strange voice commented making Mia jump. There it was again, could it have been D? No, that was impossible.

"Thankyou!" The huntress graciousely replied, seemingly unconcerned about the odd speaker.

They crested a small hill, and at the other side a man was waiting beside a horse. It was the one from town in the tattered brown cloak. Doris glanced at D, "I suppose you planned this."

He made no answer, only continued towards the stranger who began to slowly walk toward them with long graceful strides completely at odds with his costume.

"Well?"

"They had to stop in Ferro." D stated plainly.

"Ferro?" The stranger paused thoughtfully, "that is good news."

The beautiful hunter nodded once.

"Reaching it before the rest will be difficult."

"Then we'd better hurry."

"Indeed we must. May I join you?" The strangely clad man asked politely.

D shrugged, "do what you like."

The other laughed, a deep musical laugh.

The hunter urged his horse forward, "you're paying after all." He said as he passed by the other.

His laugh deepened, "so I had hoped." He mounted his horse and fell in alongside D. "But it is not like you to keep company..."

The beautiful creature of darkness smirked, "no."

There was a long moment of silence.

"You are as eloquent as ever I see."

The hunter cantered on without a word.

"I suppose it then falls to me to have the good manners and introduce myself. I am Byron Balasz." He said suddenly and pushed back his hood to reveal a face so beautiful it rivalled the dark hunter beside him. Except, where D was darkly handsome like the night, the baron was more like a creature of moonlight.

Doris was so startled she accidentally jerked the reigns on her horse causing it to spin a full circle, while Mia dropped her own and her horse came to a complete halt. The noble looked at them for a long moment, before his lips turned up ever so slightly.

"You I know of Doris Lang, you are the finest werewolf hunter on the frontier, and just as lovely as the reports claim." He turned his deep blue gaze to Mia, "and you," he paused, "you must be Ophelia's sister, and likely the one I have to thank for hiring D in my stead."

The young girl stared wide eyed at the vampire before her. She had known that it was inevitable she would one day meet him, the path her sister had set out upon and that Mia herself had followed had made it a certainty. But no amount of knowing could ever prepare her to meet a real noble face to face, and she was utterly terrified.

He turned to D with a frown, "I gather you did not warn them that I was coming."

The hunter shrugged without turning. The baron shook his head slightly, then turned back to the girls with a genuine smile.

"You need not fear me, I will not harm either of you, you have my word."

The huntress did not reply, instead she urged her horse forward and away when a strange whistling sound began to pick up. It became louder, and louder until it seemed to become a horrific scream. At the same moment the ground started to shake, and a wind seemed to part the grass.

"Now there's somethin you don't see everyday." The coarse voice commented under the horrible din as four funnels bore down on the travellers.

"It's been many years since I faced a shrieking ape, never four." Byron commented calmly swinging down from his horse.

D stared grimly forward as the moonlight shone down on the strange scene seemingly illuminating the two figures of unearthly beauty.

The baron seemed to be waiting for an interminably long time as the funnels converged, Doris hand was on her whip, but she did not flinch. The wind pelted them with bits of dirt and rocks while the long grass spun and whipped madly. The girls had to shield their faces, but the hunter and the noble stood unmoved while it seemed that perhaps even the wind could not touch them.

Suddenly two flashes of light erupted from the noble's side faster then the eye could follow and before there was time to register what had happened the noise ceased and three apelike creatures lay in pieces around the clearing. The fourth was careening through the air toward the young Mia. Before it could reach her a whip shot out flinging it off course and severing its head. Very few creatures could withstand a whip of werewolf hide, and the shrieking ape was no exception.

The Baron straightened and nodded at her, but before he could utter any thanks another rumble began to shake the ground around them. They were surrounded by motorized wagons, every one an arsenal of weapons. An unnaturally bright light suddenly illuminated them, and it must have been special for the baron grimaced in pain as his skin began to smoke. D seemed troubled as well hunching his shoulders slightly and pulling down the brim of his hat.

"Well what have we here?!" A man hopped from a wagon. If they had not been blinded they would have seen a clean cut gentleman in a pressed suit and tie. He strode out into the circle of light, towards the baron who was slowly bowing under the agony.

"How do you like my light? It's a brand new invention straight from the capitals finest minds. You could call it pure sunlight, magnified by ten. Better than the real thing!"

D dismounted from his horse stumbling slightly, the light was powerful enough to weaken even his dhampir body.

"Don't bother trying to fight it D, even a dhampir is rendered useless by this light, to be quite honest I'm amazed the two of you are even standing, particularly you baron, the agony you are experiencing must be unreal."

A whip shot out splitting into four tendrils and wrapping around the mans arms and legs.

"Turn it off." Came Doris' commanding tone.

"That was foolish my dear girl, for you see I have forty men out there, and good though you may be with that whip, you'll not take all of them with their cannons fixed on us."

"They wouldn't risk their boss."

"They might when the prize is high enough."

"hm." Doris grunted, then flicked her wrist causing the mans blood to spray from where the whip cut into his flesh.

"Turn it off." She said once more with a wicked smirk.

"No." The man grunted in pain. "What kind of stupid woman works with a vampire and a dhampir anyway.

She flicked the whip once more and one hand flew off. "Me."

The man screamed in agony and at the same moment the light went out with a resounding crash and the tinkle of shattered glass.

There was madness for a moment as everyones eyes adjusted once more to the darkness, then there was a bright flash as an entire wagon vanished. The cannons began to fire, but the two creatures of the night had vanished. Doris stood tall and defiant, legs apart and whip flying over her head, a vision of beauty and strength in the midst of the chaos. Burly men ran here and there and aimed their guns but no one could touch the deadly huntress.

One wagon aimed their cannon before the rest and made ready to fire, that was when a streak of silver split the night and the wagon. It exploded in a fountain of fire and sparks, then lay still on the ground as though it had always been there.

The other appeared cape billowing as trails of light continuously flowed two and from the depths of his midnight blue cloak that had been hidden under the worn brown one. Wagon after wagon burst into flame. A cannon blast shrieked through the darkness and nearly caught the baron in the back, he spun at the last minute and caught it. It threw him backward a few steps, when suddenly there was a clatter as the iron shell fell away and propelled a smaller deadlier weapon into the baron. A small wooden stake.

For all the vast power and deadly skills a noble posessed, none could withstand a simple sharpened piece of wood. No one had yet figured out why this was, and although nobles of yore had spent millenia trying to figure it out none had come up with a plausible cause, or yet a proper protection against that simple and effective tool.

The baron bent in agony once more, the stake had missed his heart, yet still bound him by its dreadful power. A small voice cried out from behind him. He could easily have dodged the ball, but had known that a young girl with a shattered light had been directly in its path. Several battered hunters raced across the battleground to claim their prize, only to find themselves victims of the deadliest sword on the frontier. The dark hunter quickly crossed the distance and knelt beside the baron.

"You should be more careful." The rusty voice commented dryly as he removed the stake.

"Noted." The other replied as he straightened immediately healing.

Doris stood in the midst of the burning wagons swishing her whips with a smile on her face. a fearsome figure of a woman by any standards.

"Shall we finish this D?" The baron quietly asked.

The hunter answered by running and jumping high in the air. He put out his left hand and it seemed as though the flames of the burning wagons were being sucked into it. The noble smiled briefly before turning the opposite direction and setting free his deadly arsenal once more, but this time thrown with such force the wind alone dispatched the last of the hunters and put out the fires. They met at the middle calmly surveying, all the hunters lay dead, and the motorized wagons useless. Dorris strode over whip coiled at her waste leading the trembling Mia by the hand. She flicked her head to the side where lay the well dressed one, unconcious with blood dripping from the stub of his arm.

"What'd ya wanna do with him?"

"Leave him, he's no harm to us now." Byron calmly drawled with a slight smile.

"Thats the smallest detachment of the crew I ever heard of." Doris commented.

"That is because it was only the supply train." The Baron stated, "It was rather fortunate to meet them now before the supplies were properly distributed."

"Lets go." D stated already on his horse.

"Of course." The noble said striding to his own, while the girls followed suit.


	11. Chapter 11

Thankyou thankyou for the great review! Yes I always thought Doris was a strong character. She was stuck in unfortunate circumstances but still fighting and never giving up, and that was why I always liked her best. And yes you may be correct about the baron, but I'll say no more and leave it as a surprise!

I do not own V ampire hunter D.

Chapter 11

Doris stared across the fire at the noble, distrust written upon her face. The sky was turning to grey, yet he still had not gone to sleep. She flicked her gaze to D who sat off by himself calmly sharpening his blade. He must have sensed her for he looked up dark eyes challenging, asking her it seemed, what she would do. Doris was a frontier woman through and through, and she hated vampires more passionately than most. She had good reason. Yet she knew D, and knew that his trust was not an easy commodity to obtain. It nearly defied belief, that the deadliest most dedicated vampire hunter on the frontier should befriend one of the nobility. The man whom she loved and trusted above all others, seemed to trust this monster. Still, she glanced back at the pale noble who was telling Mia a story. There was a smile on his face as he spoke, and it was neither fake nor terrifying. And his actions earlier, though in defense of his own life surely, had also clearly been in defense of theirs. It was a puzzle, just as learning to love a dhampir had been she supposed. The huntress coiled her well oiled whip and stood, walking the few steps over to where D now lay reclining against a tree, hat pulled low over his eyes. She leaned back against the same tree and silently waited.

"Speak."

"What makes you think I'm here't talk?"

He sat up and raised his hat, giving her a rare expression of one delicate eyebrow lifted milimeters higher than the other. She laughed.

"Don't give me that look, and don't pretend ya don't know whats buggin me."

One side of his beautiful mouth curved upward. "Do you trust me?"

"Of course I do!"

"Good." He laid back down pulling his hat over his eyes once more.

"Arrrgg...What kinda answer is that!" She pounded on his chest in mock anger, but really she hadn't expected anymore than he had said, or even as much. He pulled her down beside him easily restraining her, though clearly aware that she wasn't really angry. She smiled instantly delighted to find herself in his arms once more.

"He is my friend," the hunter murmured, "and he earned it."

Doris swivelled her head, the hat was still in place. She lifted it, and his gorgeous black eyes turned to her, unreadable and deep as ever.

"Friend is it? I don't reckon I've ever heard ya say that before." She paused staring inwardly for a long moment. "It'll do."

She looked up suddenly realizing it was quiet, the baron was gone and Mia sleeping soundly by the fire as the sun was rising in the east casting a golden orange glow on the land.

"Everyones asleep." She said almost gleefully.

The hunter quirked an eyebrow once more.

"Don't give me that look again, you know what I want."

He smirked and elegantly stood, then lifted the feisty huntress and slung her over his shoulder walking away from the fire and sleeping Mia.

"Hey! I aint a sack of grain ya know!"

Mia blinked a few times rubbing the sleep from her eyes and slowly began to look around as the world came into focus. She sat up, and realized she was alone. The embers from the fire were cold and the sun high. She considered going back to sleep, but rose instead. The afternoon was cool with a wind blowing in from the north, the summer had run its course and the autumn had taken hold.

Doris appeared seemingly out of nowhere, slightly dishevelled and yawning. She rummaged through her bag for a pot and started a fire before realizing Mia was awake.

"Mornin'" Doris mumbled.

Mia nodded smiling, well aware it was after noon.

"You all slept somewhere else?" She questioned without thinking about it.

"just round...yonder." She mumbled vaguely, blushing slightly for some reason.

"When will we reach Ferro?"

The older woman sat back on her heels with a pensive look. "If we make good time, and barring any more unexpected visits...we could be there tonight."

Mia smiled, then glanced down. "Do you think we'll find her?"

Doris smiled reassuringly, "Yes I do. Nothin slips past D, and the other one seems pretty sharp too. I'm actually right glad I'm not huntin him!" She laughed heartily.

"He told me how he met D last night."

Doris narrowed her eyes, "how?"

"He said he hired him as a bodyguard, and told me about all these crazy hunters that were after them, and then about another noble named Miska."

"Hm, they mentioned that name yesterday." Doris mused.

Struck suddenly with a question Mia blurted, "how did you meet D? You seem like you've known each other for a while."

The beautiful huntress stared at the girl for a long moment, then smiled. "I reckon I can tell ya, I've known D for twenty five years."

Mia's eyes popped a little, "but you're both so young!"

She laughed.

"How did you meet?" Mia couldn't help but ask.

Doris set about making coffee over the fire, "I was sixteen when I was bit by a noble, Count Magnus Lee was his name..."

The clink of chains and steady thud of feet on the frozen ground were the only sound to break the oppressive silence of the overcast day. Snow floated silently down all around them, but here were no happy voices, no smiling faces. For all here knew what their fates would be, they were slaves destined for the pleasure houses of the capital, or worse. Ophelia glanced at the woman walking beside her, a beautiful golden haired creature. The woman smiled wearily when their eyes met, then glanced down to Ophelia's wrist. She looked down and stifled a quiet gasp, her manacles had come lose. Whether from old age, rust or something else she didn't know, but she could just slip her wrists from them. She glanced at the other woman, wondering how she could free her. Seemingly reading her mind the other shook her head, "just go." She whispered so silently it was nearly inaudible. Ophelia tried to think of something to say, but nodded instead and dissapeared into the twilight.

She was content, she knew that she would die tonight alone on the frontier with no weapon or aid. But a quick death was preferable to the long drawn out life of horror and misery that had awaited her in the capital. She slipped past a tree and touched the bark as she passed, savoring the roughness. Then she held out her bare arms and revelled in the frozen air, she was terribly cold but everything had become beautiful in these final moments, even pain.

The wind blew harder and she wrapped her arms around herself, trudging slowly up a hill. Something stopped her, was it a voice? No that couldn't be right. Yes, it was. Someone called her name from far away. Someone familiar, but she couldn't recall who.

"I'm here!" Ophelia cried out certain that this voice was important. Though she also felt a sense of something being off. This wasn't the way it had happened. The realization of which only confused her more.

"This has already happened," she murmured to herself as she began to understand. "Why am I back here again?" The voice called her again more familiar.

"I'm here!" She yelled once more with a growing sense of excitement. "Where are you?"

"Far away little flower," came the voice and her heart tightened in joy. "Where are you?"

"I don't know." She nearly wept, "in the past somewhere I suppose."

She heard a distant laugh, "You are dreaming Ophelia it is the reason I was able to find you, where are you in waking?"

"I...I really don't know." She sadly replied wracking her dreaming mind for some clue from reality, "They keep me locked in a wagon, but," something tugged at her memory, "there has been often a sound of wind, and something small and hard constantly beating on the side of the wagon, maybe sand or pebbles. And we passed through a large town a week ago...I think. It is hard to tell."

"I see," his voice was becoming stronger, and she smiled in spite of herself. Cold nightmare of the past forgotten and replaced slowly with growing delight.

"I will find you soon Ophelia."

"I..."

Ophelia sat up, her cheek was stinging and the old woman was glaring at her.

"Well?" The crone demanded.

"Well...what?" She stammered blinking.

"What' do ya mean what? I asked you who are ya talking to!"

"Oh...umm, I was sleeping." She mumbled.

The old hunter narrowed her eyes. "hmmph." Then turned and sat back down as the wagon rumbled on to the constant barrage of harsh unending wind.

Ophelia closed her eyes and attempted to reach out to him once more, knowing that she wouldn't likely be able. The talent was not hers after all, she could only answer when he called. She sighed and opened her eyes, the old woman was glaring at her.

A/N

*Firstly D informed me he is far to dignified for me to write smut about him...so sorry, I dare not defy him. But yes it was STRONGLY implied.

*Second, I know what you're thinking, you wrote Doris in at forty one years old?! Whats wrong with you! But I promise I have a purpose! Its gonna be good!


	12. Chapter 12

Time for some happenings!

I do not own Vampire hunter D

Chapter 12

A wild wind howled down from the north as D rode ahead at a furiouse pace, the girls doing their best to keep up. All of a sudden the figure of darkness came to a halt, Doris and Mia struggled to do the same while their horses champed at their bits and stepped nervously.

 _"We need to go to Barnabas D."_

The voice of the baron echoed in D's mind, and he replied in kind.

 _"Why?"_

 _"I found Ophelia while she was dreaming, she told me there has been strong winds and a large town in the past week, she believes she has been crossing the desert for days."_

 _"Can you find her now?"_

 _"No, she is too far. It was only her dreaming state that allowed me to do so earlier."_

 _"Good, I will change course."_

 _"And I will meet you tonight."_

The girls were staring at him, waiting.

"What is it?" Doris asked. The girls having not heard any of the exchange.

"There's been a change of plan." The hunter said quietly after a moment wheeling his horse and galloping off in the opposite direction

It was past midnight when the darkness seemed to separate and become a deeper shade of blue resolving into a shadowy figure on horse back moving serenely through the darkness. He cut across the hills swiftly, much too swiftly in fact, closing the space between himself and the trio of riders moving at a hard gallop in mere moments.

If this had been a normal situation the encroaching noble would likely have struck the trio dumb with terror, but it was not. He nodded at the girls before closing the gap between himself and that other creature of unnatural beauty who seemed too much a part of the night.

"You are making good time." The blue eyed noble commented.

D merely nodded, black hair flowing behind him like liquid silk while the bright moon illuminated his gorgeous face giving him an otherworldly radiance.

"What shall we do for them? The desert is nearly unpassable in the autumn even with proper preparations."

"What we have will suffice." Came the stony reply.

"If you say so..." The baron cut off suddenly as a gaping rift tore open beneath them with an earth shattering roar.

There was no time even to leap from the horses, for the pull of the thing was far too strong even for the powerful noble and mighty hunter. There was a scream and a cry of surprise behind them followed by the terrified whinny of a horse as the girls were sucked in as well.

"D!" Byron called out to the hunter close by as they descended into the abyss. "Draw against me!"

The hunter drew his sword with a grim determination and with the aid of his inhuman blood maneuvered through the air as though he were upon solid ground. With a mighty clash the bright silver sword met golden scepter and a brilliant light illuminated the darkness. It seemed a stalemate for a moment, then the baron smiled and it seemed D's lips turned upward ever so slightly. There was an explosion of sparks and the two strange combatants went careening through the darkness in opposite directions.

Doris and Mia had only a moment to wonder about what they had just witnessed when they crashed into the hard ground. Doris jumped up and snatched Mia from where she lay just as a cyborg horse landed in the very spot. They looked around, it appeared they were in a cell of some kind and it smelled musty like mold and dirt. The girls began to search for an exit when a quiet voice no more than a whisper spoke.

"This is unexpected."

Doris and Mia looked around futilely.

"Where are you?" The huntress demanded.

A quiet sigh reverberated through the prison, and it seemed the darkness was a little deeper in one corner, but did not seem to be of any substance.

"I am here, I am shadow."

Byron pulled himself up painfully, it had worked. By changing their trajectory the rift had spit them out elsewhere. It might have been pointless, the rift could have been random, but he was not in any position to take chances right now. It would seem D had felt the same way. Where D and the girls were was anyone's guess. He was troubled for the girls, but had hope they would be safe until he could find them.

He became aware of a plaintive sound, almost musical. A constant light plink of something hard against metal. The wind was almost opressive and bits of rock were travelling in it. He stood blue cloak falling into place concealing him from shoulder to toes, turning slowly he wondered, could he have been so lucky?

A huge steel door stood before him, the barrage of sand and pebbles were the orchestra. He was at the gates of the outer frontier, the desert lay behind him guarded by two gigantic long dead trees. He did not hesitate, surely fate had not tossed him directly to his destination so that he could stand idle. He walked directly to the huge doors and lifted one hand pushing as he walked. With a mighty creak the giant gate swung open.

He heard the gatekeepers cry of terror and chose to ignore it, releasing the door which fell shut with a deafening clang. The noble sauntered gracefully down the main road, robe trailing behind him, moonlight illuminating his face as if to say, 'here is one so much lovelier than even I.' He found his way to the saloon after only a few moments and strode in as if it were the most natural thing in the world. The few patrons still awake quickly fled the room, all except a drunk asleep in the corner and the bartender who seemed glued to the spot. Byron strode directly up to the counter and looked the man directly in the eye.

"Van Heisill."

The man roused suddenly trembling all over, "they were here," he said gruffly with a slight tremor in his voice, "now they're gone."

"When and where if you please."

The bartender trembled slightly, glancing around anywhere but into that perfectly formed face before him. "E...East, yesterday."

"Is this the truth?"

The man blinked, "yes, yes it is...actually I hate those bastards." he grumbled.

Byron smiled causing the bartender to drop the glass he had been absently cleaning. The shattering sound was nearly deafening in the quiet room.

"I believe you are telling me the truth, and I thankyou."

He spun quickly striding back across the room. The drunk fellow woke up just in time to witness the nobles exit and Byron had to stifle a laugh at the stream of colorful profanity the man ejected after falling in a heap on the floor.

He exited the town relieving a stable of a horse on the way, though leaving a sizable price in its place, and galloped eastward at a furious speed.


	13. Chapter 13

I'm excited for this chapter, I won't lie.

I do not own Vampire hunter D

Chapter 13

The dawn was fast approaching, but a heavy layer of clouds sat between the land and the sun when Byron Balazs found the caravan. Something wasn't right. Only two horses remained from the four teams, one with its bridle caught in a tree branch, another groaning in agony under a wagon. There was no one around, and a campfire still burned dimly, an overturned pot beside it. Was this a trap? He could not tell and cautiously wrapped his cape around him, moving more silently than a shadow as he approached.

He carefully surveyed one wagon and found only two dead men for his efforts. He wandered to the next, fear and anger rising in him, and found more dead. He began to fear what he might find in the next but stepped inside anyway. There was only an old crone, she groaned, and opened one bloodshot eye.

"Well I'll be damned, and here I told em not to hold their breath." She chuckled in a gravelly voice, as a trickle of blood flowed from her cracked lips.

"Where is Ophelia?" He quietly demanded.

"Gone." The old woman grunted, "Dr. Tarr ambushed us, damn the bastard to hell." She convulsed.

"Where did he go?"

The woman shuddered and went silent.

Byron growled in frustration quickly surveying for anymore survivors. He knew what he would find though, and the anger began to grow and blossom deep within him. First the innocent girls sucked into the rift, now certain torture and death for the woman he had grown so quickly to love, not to mention his child. Byron Balazs was not the type of noble to hate his child simply for being a dhampir after all. He owed that mad man still, the memory of his own torture and near escape served to fuel his anger even more as he could not help but wonder what tortures Ophelia was already suffering. He absently touched the scar on his neck, as he entered the final wagon and found only what he had expected, a couple more mutilated bodies.

He knew that he had to find her quickly, shuddering to think what the monstrous doctor might already have done. The churning anger deep in his gut was almost nostalgic, he couldn't help but be reminded of his mother and the horrors she had been subjected to on his behalf. The fury mounted higher and higher, a chain reaction quickly spiraling out of control. The sky was lightening in the east and he felt the warning tingle on his skin. He knew he couldn't waste a moment on sleep or anything else though, and the necessity of the action that was his own limitation filled him with an even greater rage. He let out a gutteral yell raising his arms in fury as the wild desert wind caused his cape to billow out behind him. A strange blue light illuminated the noble and his eyes began to glow red, a truly terrifying sight on the usually serene face.

The few souls who happened to be passing by and witnessed the utterly horrifying spectacle would remember for the rest of their lives how the wind suddenly ceased, and blackness grew and formed into something almost solid around the vampire even as the daylight began to lighten the land elsewhere. Then the wind came howling across the desert from the wrong direction with a fury none could recall ever having witnessed, bringing with it clouds as inky black as night. And hailstones as big as fists. The thunder crashed with an intensity that caused the very gates of the town to shake on their hinges. The sound of screams and slamming doors echoed from the large town only a mile away. The storm converged into a heart of darkness from ground to sky that no beam of light could penetrate, a swirling vortex of doom, and it moved slowly southward.

As if the sight was not terrifying enough, a lone rider that seemed to carry the darkness itself with him came flying from the desert straight toward the raging storm. He streaked across the desert cutting through the dim struggling light like the ebony streak of an artists brush. He galloped straight into the heart of the storm reaching down to snatch a handful of dirt from the ground as his horse turned sharply left. It seemed as though he brought his arm to his lips and his own eyes burned blood red a moment later as he vanished into the heart of the wild raging darkness.

D raised his left hand and some of the swirling raging funnels of wind flowed into it, even as rain began to fall in torrents alongside the unrelenting hail. He found the figure of fury and rage in the epicenter of the storm, walking forward at a determined pace carrying the storm like a mantle. He turned his glowing red eyes to the dhampir who seemed so much less a half breed, and more a full fledged noble of endless power. The blood red eyes met and it seemed as though something passed between them, for the other raised his hand as well and the storm doubled in power, tearing up the very earth and sky for miles. The two glanced at each other briefly before a peal of thunder more terrible than the earth had ever known broke the barriers of time and space tearing open yet another rift in time and space. They stepped through together without a word, and just as suddenly as the monster storm had begun, it vanished leaving behind it the calm daylight that revealed a crater miles long and wide in the barren landscape. It seemed as though the land sighed in relief as the wind returned from its normal home serene and familiar as ever.


	14. Chapter 14

I do not own Vampire hunter D

Chapter 14

Two figures slowly walked down a hallway as dark as a moonless night, but instead of illuminating their path with a candle or torch it seemed rather that they drew the darkness in around them as they passed, blending with the inky blackness more perfectly than a shadow.

 _"Anything?"_

 _"Yes,"_ came the reply after a moment, " _they are certainly here, and living, but do not answer."_

 _"Unconcious."_

 _"So it would seem, and beyond sleep."_

They quickened their pace until they came to a dilapidated hall, the remains of grandness and opulence showed through the 6 inch layer of dust, while here and there gilded furniture and trinkets glittered in various stages of decay.

"It's almost nostalgic is it not." The Baron commented out loud seeming to feel the need to break the silence. A flutter of movement lighter than the whisper of silk against a polished floor caught the attention of both.

"You may as well show yourself." The blue noble stated.

D merely stood, as still and silent as a finely chiseled black statue.

"I am." A whisper greeted them.

"Interesting." A calouse voice commented from D's left side. "You're an honest shadow, and can't take form even if you wanted to."

"That is correct." The whisper shuddered from the shadowy corner. "It is a most unfortunate trait my mother passed on to me."

"This is most enlightening, however, it is time to hand over the girls you have captured." The baron stated from beside the silent D.

"I never knew of any other noble who could open a rift as I can." The voice floated across the room. "But it is no matter, I have no real interest in the females though they did enlighten me on some interesting secrets when I perused their minds. No it's you I want my dear baron, quite simply I require the funds."

"Unfortunately my secrets are already well known." The baron commented dryly.

The darkness laughed in a cruel grating gasp, "that may be, but his are not. To think _His_ son should have..." The voice cut off silently with a hiss of surprise as a rip appeared in the gathered darkness. It quickly reformed, pulling together into a more humanoid shape misty at the edges. The slight hint of slanted red glowing eyes burning angrily.

"Do you know that actually hurt. Most impressive. I'll make it simple, I'll trade you him for the girls. What use has the great vampire hunter D for a noble after all?"

A wind rushed through the shadow in response, three tiny wooden needles stuck firmly in the stone wall behind the shadowy figure.

"Nice try, but you forget I have no substance to pierce."

It shrieked as a fierce wind blew it apart, a flash returned to the barons cape as the shadow reformed, red eyes burning brighter.

"I see wind only has a momentary effect as well." Byron sighed, "I decline to be taken prisoner I'm afraid. I've tried it before and found it to be...unpleasant."

"I..." the shadow stopped, lifting fully formed hands in amazement. It turned to an old golden framed mirror speckled black around the edges with age. The reflection therein revealed the features of a stunningly beautiful vampiress with flowing black hair covering her naked body and pooling on the ground around her. "I always wondered what I looked like," she murmured red lips turning upward in a smile as she glanced down at the perfect hand on her shoulder. "Do you know, I was hoping to do exactly this with the money, I heard of a doctor in the capital...I suppose its fitting it be like this..." She turned back to the mirror smiling at her reflection one last time, "the name you seek is Drake."

Her words cut off with a gurgle as the silver blade pierced her now solid heart. She fell to the gilded floor and returned to mist before vanishing like fog burned away in hot sunlight. The two heartbreakingly beautiful men stared sadly at the floor.

"A pity..." The baron murmured, forgetting his anger momentarily.

D returned his blade to its sheath and it sounded like a sigh.

The girls were not hard to find, they were lying on the floor of a dungeon cell with a horse, for all appearances sleeping soundly. There were still receding fang wounds on their necks, for what the baron and D had known all along, was that the only way to free the girls from the nobles spell, was to kill the noble.

Concluding that this was as safe a place as ever, the two sat on the floor beside the slumbering ladies and took some well needed rest as well.


	15. Chapter 15

Man I think this is the longest story I've written, but I'm gonna finish! I always do my best to finish cause I don't know about y'all but I hate being left hanging! So onward we go, nearing the finish line!

I do not own Vampire hunter D, but I just love it! I've even had to re-read a few since I started this story, and enjoyed them thoroughly all over again!

Chapter 15

D regarded the girls, it had been six hours and still they slept. He placed his left hand on Doris.

"She's fine." The callouse voice commented as D drew it away. "It'll be a while before they wake up though, that shadow sent em way beyond dreaming if you know what I mean." It cackled. "We could leave em here, she's a resourceful wench you know better than any. But that's not what your worried about is it?"

The stoic hunter made no reply. Instead clenching his fist and turning to the blue eyed noble who had woken and was calmly watching the exchange.

"I always wondered about that left hand of yours." The baron mentioned with a slight smile as he stood. The hunter said nothing.

"But I must disagree, I do not want to leave them here. There is no knowing what kind of traps could be hidden in a place like this."

"Lets go then." D stated lifting the unconscious Doris.

Byron silently mirrored him lifting the smaller figure and exiting the cell behind the hunter.

A few wrong turns, and traps later they were out beneath the moon once more. It was mountainous country, with dense forest all around. There was no road, nor sign of civilization, no sound but the howls and roars of the night creatures. The two men stood silent and still as statues at the entrance of the decaying castle for a long time, until finally D adjusted the sleeping woman on his shoulder and stepped forward. The vision in blue followed without a word, eyes distracted as though lost in thought.

After a long time the hunter's rusty voice broke the silence. "What did you find?"

"Hmm." The noble absently muttered, surprised out of his reverie.

"You were angry."

"Yes," He finally responded, "The Van Heisill family is dead, dr. Tarr has Ophelia, and I fear I have very little time to find her."

D grunted, never pausing or turning.

"I know it is absurd, but truly I am quite fond of her. And the thought of that madman harming her enrages me." He paused as though somewhat surprised at having said so much, and to D of all people. There was silence for a long time before he spoke again. "I have not the faintest idea where to seek her out."

"The desert would be a start."

"Yes, I had considered that, but Dr. Tarr is very crafty. He would not pick somewhere so obvious, and likely had some special vehicle, flying or otherwise in which he could have quickly travelled a great distance." He sighed. "He will draw out her life to make me suffer, he is cruel even by the standards I have been subjected to."

The hunter said nothing allowing the silence between them to return as they continued to travel down the mountainside.

A few hours past midnight they found the gates of a tiny town near the base of the mountain. Byron stopped suddenly and turned his head. The hunter stood quietly waiting, as a breeze blew past. Anyone who chanced to see them standing there would surely have believed they were dreaming, to see the two men of such perfect yet masculine beauty standing amidst the swaying trees and darkness. One all pale blue and serene, the other blacker than the night and clearly a harbinger of death.

The baron stiffened, than turned to D with a bewildered expression. "I believe I have found her."

A slight widening of D's eyes was the only response Byron recieved, but on the mighty hunter the expression might as well have been a shout of surprise.

"I did not expect..." He trailed off frowning, "I'm afraid I must go D, but I doubt the good people of this village would be glad to see me anyway."

"Go."

He nodded once and placed the other girl on the hunter's empty shoulder. D turned and headed to the gate without a word, while the noble vanished into the darkness like a wind through the slumbering trees.

D strode the last few steps to the gate and knocked loudly with his boot. When there was no response he did so again, louder than before. A few more minutes passed before there was a scuffling sound and a small wooden square the size of a face slid away to reveal the unshaven features of the gatekeeper.

"I seek lodging." The hunter said simply and without preamble.

The sound of grumbling followed. "And how do I know your not up to no good, out at this hour. Heavens, who travels this late?! Sheesh! And why can't I see your face, what are you hiding?"

"I seek safe lodging, the women need rest."

The gatekeeper started, seeming to finally notice the girls.

"Whats wrong with em?"

"They're sleeping."

"Clearly. Why are they sleeping?" The sharp keeper asked wryly.

"They were bitten, I've taken care of it."

The gatekeeper actually jumped back at the honest answer.

"T..taken care of it?! What are you, a hunter?"

"Yes."

"By taken care of you mean..."

"The vampire that bit them is dead." He said it with such indifference, as though the news was nothing special, that the gatekeeper believed him at once and opened the heavy door.

"There's an inn up the street and to the left." The man pointed vaguely before latching the large wooden doors, and disappearing into the gatehouse without offering any further greeting or help.

The inn was quiet. Three patrons sat calmly nursing drinks and a few women sat in a corner together waiting for business. Even the sheriff sat at the bar chatting with the owner of the establishment. But the quiet of the night was broken by a gust of wind seemingly from nowhere. The double doors swung open, and at first it seemed that it was only the strange breeze, but when they looked closer it was as though the darkness flowing in from the night had taken the shape of a man of such perfect form he might have been sculpted by a master artist. If this wasn't strange enough he carried two women over his ample shoulders, and wore a wide brimmed hat concealing his face. He walked determinedly to the bar, boots dully thudding across the wood plank floor.

"I need a room." He stated simply in a voice much too old for his youthful appearance.

"S...sure." The stunned barkeeper stuttered, turning around to find a key.

The sheriff looked the newcomer up and down, "what's wrong with them?"

D did not so much as acknowledge the question.

"You ignoring me?" The large sheriff asked standing up, and lifting his rifle.

D turned his icy gaze on the officer, and his gun lowered slowly as the whole room was engulfed in a terrifying aura.

A key clinked on the counter, and he lowered his gaze as the whole room heaved a collective sigh of relief.

"That's a nice trick, but I'm the law here and..." The sheriff quieted at the hand of the barkeeper on his shoulder.

"Here's the key, your room's down the hall on the left." He said as amiably as possible.

D reached for the key adjusting Mia to do so, and the barkeeper spoke up once more.

"You wouldn't happen to be the famous vampire hunter D would you?"

The dark vision turned with key in hand to head for the hall.

"I once heard someone tell me about him, and I can't help but think you're exactly like she described. Told me about how D saved her whole town, and then the people turned on him, but she never forgot."

D paused for a moment and almost imperceptably nodded before disappearing down the dim hallway.

After laying the girls down on the bed he sat on the single chair in the corner and propped his feet up on a table. He pulled off his sword and laid it across his legs, then sat there silently in the dark.

"So what're you gonna do now?" A rough voice broke the silence. "The girls would be fine here, even you can't deny that."

Silence.

"And pretty boy's deadlier than most, but he's got the fleet in his path you heard them. Not to mention he's a big softy, always helping people instead of killing them...kind of reminds me of someone else."

D growled a little.

"Come on, you can't fool me he's your friend, one of the only ones you got. And he hired you after all...Well close enough anyways."

The hunters eyes travelled to the girls once more.

"That's not what you're really worried about though, you're wondering who the vampire freak managed to blab to before you got ther..."

The voice cut off as the hunter balled his fist.

"You can't exactly head to the capital..." The muffled voice blabbed on through his fingers.

"Quiet!" Came the hunters deadly voice.

"You can't just ignore yourgmmph..." A trickle of blood slipped down his wrist as nails bit into the palm of his left hand.

D turned back to Doris and Mia pondering.

Byron Balazs rushed through the lightening forest as swiftly as the wind rustling between the trees alongside him.

 _"Ophelia, answer me please."_ He attempted once more to contact her, and was met again with silence. He couldn't deny, not to himself anyway, that he was worried for her. He knew first hand the doctor's propensity for evil, his delight in torture. This was the same man after all, responsible for the unfortunate circumstances that had led to his chance meeting with Ophelia in the first place. He grimaced recalling that particularly maliciouse neck shackle. Oh, it would have been easy enough to escape, if it hadn't had a rasor sharp inner edge that tightened at any movement, even something so small as wiggling a toe. Which of course left him standing still as a statue and aching all over for nights and days on end, and when he had finally managed to escape it, it had nearly taken his head with it. Then there was that delightful blind that allowed a small beam of sunlight to burn him somewhere new each day. It healed of course, he was special that way, but the agony remained. Then still there was that game the doctor had loved to play where he would partially sever a limb so he could observe how quickly the noble actually healed. Byron wondered if perhaps his inability to control himself around the lovely Ophelia then was at least partly due to the overwhelming sense of joy at being alive and free. Of course he could neither deny that he was deeply fond of her, naturally drawn to her kind and trusting nature, a trait he had never had the pleasure of experiencing from anyone else.

He stopped as a sliver of an answer reached him, laced with pure agony. It was utterly unclear but he thought it might have been his name.

 _"Be strong little flower, I will be there soon."_

 _"I...will..."_ her voice came through quiet and weak, before the sense of pain cut it out again. He felt the rage blossoming anew within him, but attempted to hold it at bay knowing he would need it soon. He ran on faster than before through seemingly endless rolling tree covered hills, even after the sun began to filter through the dense cover smoking and burning him wherever it happened to land.

Finally he had to stop. Strong though he was, he was still a noble after all and the searing agony of his burning body was too much to bear. He might have continued anyway if not for the knowledge that an army awaited him, and he would be mostly useless against them in his current state. He therefore found a deep hole where the roots of a great tree had pulled free from the earth and laid down in the darkness. He did not rest however, rather grinding his teeth at the interminably long wait while now and again attempting to contact her, or plan what he might do to the doctor when he found him. Every so often he would recieve agony ridden short answers in reply that made his rage and anger reach a boiling point.


	16. Chapter 16

Alright, I can do this. Get ready for Action! Action! Action! Sheesh I'm exhausted already! Poor Byron he has to work hard today!

I do not own Vampire hunter D

Chapter 16

There was a sense of tension about the encampment, like a guitar string strung far too tight and ready to snap. The twilight set in with a red glow to the west as troop nine sat around their campfire, much as the others gathered around the strange earthen bunkers. Burning beacons shone here and there as the last light of the day faded and the night howls began.

"What do ya think Roy?"

"Hmph," the surly bearded man growled in response. "I think its a damn waste of time. You ever heard of a noble, or person for that matter that cared about a fucking dhampir or the bitch who bore it? Cause I sure haven't."

"Nah, but they say this ones odd."

Roy laughed. "I say Tarlin's lost his touch, I'd much rather be hunting the usual. Who pays that much for a job anyway, somethin aint right."

"Maybe." The younger man conceded poking at the fire with a stick.

Suddenly, and without warning the night howls and screeches ceased. The huge camp quieted next as everyone collectively wondered what could possibly be frightening enough to make all the deadly night beasts go quiet. The silence was deafening, all except the clack and rustle of soldiers reaching for weapons.

A murmur rolled through the camp like a wave as all eyes turned to a silent figure standing at the top of a hill. Every one of them knew what form of monster stood there shimmering in the moonlight like some ghostly specter of beauty and doom. The first volley of projectiles flew haphazard and sloppy, fired randomnly at the terrifying apparition. For even though they had all been told to expect a noble, no one was ever really prepared to see one face to face. This was the stuff of nightmares, even to the most hardened of warriors, and this one, clearly was of the highest echelon. Duel flashes flew from his cape displacing every bullet, stake and arrow as if they were no more than falling leaves. He slowly and regally stepped down the hillside, midnight blue cape falling perfectly in place with each step. Even the night wind seemed not to have the power to so much as ruffle his bright hair.

" _You can all leave with your lives if you do not interfere."_ Came the beautiful calm voice spoken softly as though he stood near all 300 and some odd fighters. They looked around in bewilderment, as if to see if the person next to them had heard him too, which of course they had.

The camp answered with a more organized volley of weapons which he reduced to a heap as easily as the first round. Without warning the earth rumbled and vomited dirt and rocks in a slow ooze, a dozen men and women in the epicenter sank into the churning ground without even a chance to scream. The noble sank much slower, seeming utterly unconcerned as he pulled one foot, and than the other out. Not so much as his posture suffered, and it seemed even the dirt could not cling to him. He began to move forward once more despite the wildly undulating ground, when with a sudden rumble the earth burst up around him encircling and spinning before forming a solid mass and flattening back into the earth.

There was a cheer, and it seemed for a brief moment that all was over. The men and women positioned at odd intervals around the displaced earth stood slowly motioning back and forth and laughing. Those from the surrounding troops began to lower their weapons, wondering if it had really been that simple. Then they heard it, small at first a pebble tumbling along the ground, then more, then the great crumbling thunder as thousands of pounds of rock and dirt tumbled away and the noble stood straight and tall, cravat unruffled, brushing the dust from his cape in such a manner that a woman standing nearby actually swooned and fainted. He glanced at her almost amiably before stepping over and crushing the small machine she had been manipulating with his boot.

"My offer stands." He said out loud this time in a commanding yet melodious voice. "You all may leave with your lives provided you do not hinder me."

"If you think we'd let a damn noble walk outta here you've got somethin else comin!" Yelled a man from the crowd as a bang announced his cannon.

It was not a cannonball however that came sailing through the air, but an electrically charged spear. A rather unpleasant invention that had a large enough charge to kill a lesser dragon in only a few seconds. Just as Byron Balazs was realizing that it was gonna hurt to catch this projectile ten more identical shots lit up the night. There was nothing else for it, he caught the first one, then ducked letting his short swords fly and slice the others to pieces. He barely had time to catch them before the report of the cannons blasted the air again. Once more he let his own weapons fly, but the troops were becoming smarter and began to fire continuousely. He knew that a hit wouldn't kill him, but the sheer numbers would slow him down, and he needed to be at his best to face the brilliant and wicked doctor.

He jumped high in the air almost in immitation of D, sailing easily over the flying projectiles, and sent his weapons forth slicing through an arsonal of cannons and fighters. One explosion after another lit up the hillside until the night was almost too bright, but he knew he hadn't even scratched the surface. This was no petty force, or untrained hunter, this was the blood fleet feared across the frontier.

He landed as a storm of stakes, bullets, and lasers lit up the night all around. He frowned and lifted his cape to protect himself, lowering it a moment later and shaking off the bits of weaponry clinging to the outside. A volley of stakes one hundred strong flew silently toward him, he chose to leap out of the way once more, not wasting the opportunity to take out another row of weapons and fighters from the air. Something came hurtling towards him while his own blades were still out and he lifted a hand to stop it only to find it wrap snuggly around his wrist, then another around his legs and neck. He flexed to break the ties, but they would not. He growled, he should have paid closer attention. This was no regular whip, it was fashioned from the tentacles of the land octopus. He was slightly impressed that one of these people had not only managed to kill one of the more fearsome beasts of the frontier, but to harvest it's tentacles as well. His blades returned severing two of the four ties binding him. His neck and right hand were still bound however, and the whipmaster had actually managed to wrap him in such a way that the strings tightened intensely with any movement. The noble glanced down at the man holding his reigns.

"Well done, but it's hardly enough." He laughed as he pulled on his bindings sharply, enduring the pain the tightening caused. He flung the fellow across the field, detangling himself with ease and tossing the weapon aside, then lifted his eyes just in time to anticipate yet more cannonfire. He leapt quickly aside recalling his last encounter with a cannonball, and laughed ironically as the heavy balls plowed through a crew that had been preparing some kind of explosives. His humor was short lived however as he began to cough, falling to his knees unable to breathe as the smoke of the explosion wafted towards him carried on the wind.

Any attempts at holding his breath were futile due to the terrible wracking coughs. He raised his cape instead trying to filter the noxious air, but could get no relief. The telltale bang of weapons being discharged continued to break the quiet of the night and he knew he had to move, but was unable to pinpoint the direction from which the blasts came as the smoke seemed to muddle his senses as well. He leapt blindly high as he could, trying to land upwind of the smoke. It proved a mistake however, for one troop had sent their shots directly there anticipating his move, and he found himself suddenly inundated with electrified spears again. He threw his own weapons faster than lightning, but still caught two in his body. He grimaced as the electricity caused him to convulse, wracking him with coughs all over again despite the freedom from the oppressive smoke. The report of more fire came his way as he grasped the handle of one humming spear and wrenched it from his belly, gasping in pain from the merciless electrical charge.

The projectiles never came, instead an explosion and shouts of surprise echoed all around. He managed to glance up just in time to witness a figure as black as the night wielding a streak of silver, seemingly dive from the sky like a bird of prey and send every weapon flying as though the swipe of his sword had stirred up a great wrathful wind. The remaining spear was suddenly yanked free, and the baron took a deep breath in relief.

D glanced indifferently at him, "You need to be more careful."

The noble laughed, causing him to cough once more working out the last of the toxic smoke, "so I've been told."

There was no time for talking though as a rumble echoed through the valley.

"You haven't used your sceptre."

"No."

"Why not?"

"I prefer to use it only to protect the people of the frontier."

The hunter turned, "and has this army not harmed countless innocents."

"Perhaps." The noble muttered reflectively as a massive yellow light burned away the darkness forcing them both to lift an arm and shade their eyes.

Ten huge beams lit up the night obliterating at least seven troops and their weapons. The explosion was deafening and the constant firing ceased for a moment as everyone looked to the top of the hill where a beautiful woman stood dark hair flying around her, eyes sparkling in the light of the raging fires. Her massive ten barreled gun humming as it recharged for another round. She pulled a black whip out with one hand while easily balancing her huge firearm in the other.

The noble smiled in spite of his aches and anger, and noticed that the stoic dhampir had a small smirk himself. It could almost be called affectionate, if one dared label the deadly hunter with so common a title.

A cry of rage one hundred voices strong engulfed the hillside, for by now there was not a single troop that had not suffered casualties. The night roared to life once more with a surge of flying missiles, lasers and cannons. The two hunters and noble were hard pressed to keep up with the constant bombardment, when the rumbling grew into a sound of something rushing fast down the mountainside and turned quickly to a thundering roar. D, Byron, and at least half of the remaining hundred or so fighters, were washed away in an instant as a deluge of water so vast that it engulfed the entire valley thundered past.

Only a few beleaguered souls managed to climb to safety, dumbly wondering what had happened. The lone huntress on the hillside could be seen looking this way and that, keen eyes searching for something. The cannon in her hand rumbled, ready to fire once more. but she found herself suddenly with nowhere to loose the weapon.

"Where are you?" she whispered, as a lone soldier who had managed to escape the flood closed the distance between them. He lifted his laser gun and pointed it at her.

"Traitor." He said, voice dripping with venom, "well now you can die with them."

His next sound was a gasp of pain and surprise however as he found himself entangled in eight strands of werewolf hide. The gun fell from his outstretched fingers.

"I aint no traitor, maybe you should pick yer own battles, 'stead of lettin some rich bastard do it for ya."

"Anyone... who serves a noble...s a traitor to their own kind." He gasped.

"Maybe, but I didn't do it for him." She growled, "I reckon I can let ya go, if ya leave and don't cause us no more grief."

He laughed, "Those two...are long gone. The doctor made sure of it." The laugh became wheezing, "they were both nobles after all, and everyone knows they can't live in water."

"That's as may be, but yer wrong only one's a noble, and somethin simple as water aint gonna kill the other. You'd be wise to get yer sorry ass outta here."

He lunged forward as if to attack her and she sighed flipping her wrist and severing his limbs and head where he had been bound.

She looked back up at the water flowing and glittering in the moonlight below. There was an almost imperceptable thud behind her, and she turned to see D standing there, perfectly dry and unruffled in any way. She smiled beautifully, "There you are."

He glanced out across the expanse of flooded valley as if to confirm that she had nothing to worry about.

"Where is he?" She inquired after a moment.

The hunter took an opportunity to lunge and kill a small group that had made their way up the hillside. He returned a moment later sheathing his sword.

"We passed an underground entrance."

"An he went in?"

He tilted his head almost imperceptably.

"And ya didn't follow?"

"He can handle it."

She raised an eyebrow, "Like he did before?"

The hunter smirked, it was as much as laughter coming from him.

"Don't worry, that one's stronger than he looks! Even he wouldn't wanna pick a fight with the baron!" The voice from D's left hand cackled

"What?! Then why was he holdin back."

"Because he's a big softy and doesn't like to hurt people. Crazy right! Whover heard of a noble that didn't enjoy killing, probly because the big guy messed with him just like dgrbmmph..."

D was frowning as he clenched his fist. Doris looked on thoughtfully for a moment, then shouldered her cannon without another word. She knew better than to question the hunter further.

"I reckon we better make him an exit then."

D stepped forward without another word and Doris fell in behind him.

Byron silently traversed the damp earthen tunnel. She was here, he knew she was, he could sense her though it seemed she was sleeping. He did not try to contact her, knowing that she had undergone some horror during the day and was likely at peace just now. There was someone else too, someone he couldn't help but think he knew. It was almost as if they were trying to contact him but he could get no coherent reply when he answered. The strangest part though, was that as far as he knew D was the only other person who could mirror his unusual talent. He would find her first and puzzle out the other when she was safe. He paused at a junction, then took the right turn beginning to run. A door opened ahead and he leaned against the cold dark wall, a creature of darkness vanishing in his natural habitat. He was not seen, and continued but stopped suddenly by the newly closed door, the other was in there. He tried to contact it again, but was met with failure once more, only a wordless garble reached him. Though it seemed to become elated at his nearness adding to the puzzle. He paused considering whether to alter his plan, but continued on instead vowing to return as soon as possible.

" _I will return shortly, whoever you are."_ He told the stranger in the room, and felt a strange garbled tickle in return once more.

Another turn took him down into a deeper cavern filled with what could only be cells. He glanced inside a few and found no one. In another a long dead hunter of some kind dangled from a horrific multi clawed contraption , weapons carefully laid out on the ground just out of reach, it's dry yellow bones still outstretched for them.

This was not the fortress he had been imprisoned in before, yet it was certainly reminiscant of the other. He traveled on peering in each bleak enclosure until he found her at the end of the row. He pushed on the heavy door and with a loud crunch and clang the bolts broke, and it swung open. There was a powerful smell of blood in the air, and she lay crumpled on the ground arms manacled above her head. Her dress was red from the waist down and she sat in a drying crimson pool. His anger burned white hot once more, and he felt control slipping away fast even as his vision turned red. She stirred and lifted her eyes.

"Byron?" She whispered in a raw voice. "I must be dreaming..." She drooped again.

He knelt before her, "No little flower you are not dreaming."

She lifted her head and peered at him, eyes sparkling. "You really came for me?"

"Of course, I always keep my word."

Tears gathered in her large green orbs, "you were so close," little rivulets flowed down her cheeks, "they took him from me."

"Him?" He questioned.

"My poor darling, I couldn't even hold him. It's almost like he's still here crying out to me." She sobbed

It dawned on him suddenly, the blood, the agony, the strange voice trying to contact him, "that's because he is. I heard him as well, but did not know who it was trying to contact to me." He crushed the manacles and lifted her from the ground. Little droplets of blood fell from her saturated dress, it couldn't be helped.

"It would seem he has picked up one of my more unusual traits."

"Does that mean...he's ok?" She asked wide green eyes sparkling as she weakly clung to him.

"Yes, I believe so, but we cannot be certain until we retrieve him." He replied as he began the trek back down the long hall.


	17. Chapter 17

Gosh, I didn't mean to make it this long, but it keeps on going. I will get to the end, I will! Sorry for the long wait I was suffering from indecision, so many possible choices and outcomes! And thankyou so much Amethyst-phoenix I look forward to your reviews, they make my day! And yes adorable was exactly what I was thinking of that scene :)

I do not own Vampire hunter D, I'm just a hopeless fan that wants the story to go on forever! And I am doing my part!

Chapter 17

Ophelia gasped and opened her eyes, had she passed out again? It was dark and felt as though she were moving. She happened to look up and saw the face she loved best in the world. Knowing that she must be dreaming she refused to tear her gaze away, instead staring to her hearts content. He glanced down and smiled that easy perfect smile of his and she melted a little. He stopped, and leaned against a door.

 _"I sensed him in here earlier."_

She drew in a quick breath desperate to see her baby, terrified to see him. Wanting to jump down and run to him, but knowing her legs would fail her. He pushed the door open carefully and it squeaked ever so slightly. A hum of machinery met her ears as he melted into the shadows with her. A harsh atomic light burned in a corner and he slipped into another shadow, moving carefully deeper into the room. A loud crackling sound broke the silence as if a radio turned up to full blast was searching for a station. Byron cursed under his breath, running swiftly back towards the open door and rolling the final few feet, Ophelia clutched firmly to him as the entire room erupted in blinding light. Not wasting a second he bounded down the dark hall. Ophelia held on tightly, forcing down her anguish and dissapointment. She did not ask him where he was going, she trusted him completely this was a boon he had earned time and again. They came to a dead end and the same crackle echoed above. He turned to the wall on his right and crushed it with his fist. Racing through the crumbling hole as a blinding light flashed behind them once more. There was a loud rumble as the halls behind them fell in.

"You don't think he was..." She whispered as they ran.

"No."

She nodded unable to speak.

They came to another dead end, and he swiveled his head right and left with a frown.

"What is it?"

"Reinforced walls."

He turned and sprinted down the way they had come, continuing past the rubble that betrayed their entrance into this system of tunnels. A voice boomed overhead.

"Come now my dear baron, you did not honestly believe I would make it easy for you?" The evil voice cackled maniacly causing Ophelia to shudder.

"One thing you surely ought to know by now doctor is that I am no fool." Byron replied smiling and never breaking stride.

"Your actions would prove otherwise."

"You should also note," The baron continued without pause, "that if you harm my son, I will make you suffer in ways even you cannot imagine. Do not assume that I am peaceful because I am incapable of being otherwise." He bent and used his head to reduce another wall to rubble. A waft of fresh cold air traveled down the pitch black corridor towards them.

The soft thud of his boots against the dirt floor became a steady splash, until he abruptly stopped, glancing down at the woman in his arms. She had gone limp, head lolling gently to the side. He adjusted her so that her head rested on his chest and cautiousely stepped forward. There was a sudden splash, and then silence, only the quiet dripping of water could be heard.

Out of nowhere an impossibly huge reptilian creature reared up, blocking the only path. It was black and slick like poison, with three heads and two tails. Its gaping toothy maws hung wide open and hungry. It lunged, and he was forced to jump back unable to access his weapons. He knew he had to set Ophelia down, but could not very well set the unconsciouse woman in knee deep water. He backed further into the dark corridor as the heads snapped at him, and a tail swung around to trip him. He jumped over it, finally finding a shallow space by the wall where the floor curved upwards, and set her down. Duel flashes traveled through the creature faster than the speed of light. They ought to have separated a head from the body, but with a strange liquid sound the severed cranium returned to its original form. He tried once more just to be certain, and again the same thing happened. He was intending to drive the creature away, but instead it seemed to be pushing him back towards the slumbering Ophelia.

He pulled out the scepter and threw it. The golden spear stuck fast in the creatures belly, and it stared in amazement, waiting and watching while its form swirled around that point of light trying to repair. Finally with a howl of rage it tore the loathsome weapon from itself and tossed it away. The hole did not heal, and the beasts fury redoubled. The baron cursed himself for being so foolish, the weapon was beyond his reach now for the huge beast filled the entire passage.

He threw his swords once more aiming for the wounded stomach, and the creature screamed in pain and rage yet again. It drove him back a few more steps until he decided he had had enough and leapt onto the creatures back, wrapping his arms around a neck and ripping it free with a terrible squelch, than tossing it away so that it could not repair. Another head snapped at him, he grabbed it and with a yell wrenched it from the body throwing it away once again. The body became unsteady and liquid and he began to sink into it until finally he had to roll off the oozing black sides from necessity. He fell to the ground and saw the glint of the scepter ahead. Without stopping for long enough even to draw breath he swiftly bolted across the corridor and picked it up, this time running up to the beast and spearing it with his own hand. It roared in agony with its final mouth as he held it there, and suddenly with a flash of light it was cauterized from the inside out. With a final sizzle the beast moaned and went silent. He pulled the dagger out and the creature turned to a formless ooze, sizzling along the watery passage. He glanced down in surprise, his boots were steaming and disintegrating. He bounded over the blob as quickly as possible and made it to Ophelia just as the first of the poison acid reached her. She opened her eyes as he plucked her from danger.

"Wh... what happened?" She mumbled sleepily.

"You lost consciouseness for a few moments, are you alright?"

She smiled, "I suppose I don't really know. But I think I will be."

"Yes you will, I will make sure of it."

She tightened her hold as he raced through the poison tunnel.

The evil voice crackled overhead once more, "very impressive my dear baron, I expected no less from you, and yet those cursed powers of yours make you rather annoyingly slippery to catch. But, no matter, I can see that you are on a straight path to nowhere. What will you do next time I wonder. You might not be able to survive with your own life, much less your little mistress." There was a brief silence as if the speakers had cut out. Byron turned sharply down a side path and the sinister voice returned.

"I've missed you you know, you were rather my favorite pet, all those intriguing little oddities not to mention the fortune I will acquire when I hand you over to that rich fool in the capital."

"Did I ever tell you that there is true elegance in silence doctor?"

"Ah, but there is real delight in gloating as well, especially when it infuriates your enemies."

The baron laughed, never pausing in his quest to find a way out. "My dear doctor, if you believe I am angered by your unnecessary speeches you are highly mistaken, talk all you like it simply proves my point."

There was no reply this time.

"Wait." Ophelia said, causing him to halt. "I hear him."

"Can you tell where?" He asked quietly

She shook her head.

" _Perhaps I can get his attention."_ He suggested mentally.

She tried to focus on his voice, and it seemed to work.

" _Yes I hear you too young one."_ He answered through her. Finally the babies attention switched to him and she heard no more.

Byron began to walk forward swiftly, frowning. After a few more turns his expression had not changed and she began to worry.

"What?" She whispered.

"I was thinking that I had better hurry and retrieve him."

"Do you know where he is?" She asked hopefully.

"Only vaguely."

There was an explosion, and a sudden gust of fresh air. He smiled picking up his pace, and soon they came to a hole in the wall revealing the moon and sky. A few rocks tumbled in from the gap as one leg, than an arm, and than the head of a beautiful dark haired woman appeared.

"Well shoot! If that aint a lucky break!" Doris exclaimed with a laugh, running up to them.

Another figure that seemed made of the darkness itself slowly stepped through straightening behind her.

The baron smiled. "Your timing is exceptional. I would like to have you take Ophelia somewhere safe, I must return inside."

"She's already given birth! Dang! Poor thing, looks like yer pretty rough too!" Doris exclaimed feeling Ophelia's head.

"Where's the child." D asked.

"That is why I must return."

"To end it?" He asked.

Doris wheeled around and seemed to be struggling to keep her mouth shut.

Ophelia's pretty green eyes went wide with horror. "No! Please no!"

A look akin to anger crossed the baron's face. "Certainly not! You ought to know me better than that D."

"As long as you can do what must be done, if the time comes." He said darkly.

"You know I will."

Ophelia pursed her lips and nodded solemnly.

The beautiful vision of darkness seemed to assent and reached out his arms to take the weakened woman.

"No!" Doris demanded, they all turned to her.

"I'll take her, got a horse just over the hill. I reckon this job might take the both a ya if what I hear's true about that doc." She strode up to the baron and held out her arms. He glanced at her dubiousely.

"Don't be an idiot, ya know what I'm capable of by now. Did ya know I can lift a cyborg horse too, engines and all."

Byron actually smiled and laughed, a pleasant sound in that hideous place. Ophelia thought she almost saw a smirk on the terrifying, yet strangely beautiful hunter's face as well.

"If it's alright I think I could walk, slowly." Ophelia offered, and stood more firmly than she had expected she would be able as Byron lowered her to the ground. " You see, I'll be alright." She smiled. "Just bring back my baby!" There was a fierceness to her words that surprised them all. Then she turned and walked slowly to the exit, Doris beside her.

When they had vanished into the night Byron turned to D with a slight frown. "What was that about?"

"I needed to make sure." He shrugged and turned walking into the blackness.

"Of whom?"

"Hadn't we better hurry." Came the only reply and Byron sighed and ran forward to catch up.


End file.
